Lead Electrical Design Engineer

avav; Huntsville (AL); On-site; USD 112,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

9/80 schedule

Paid holiday shutdown

Job summary

AeroVironment is seeking a Lead Electrical Design Engineer to join the Kinetic Effectors Group in Huntsville, AL. The role focuses on embedded electronics, power systems, avionics and subsystem integration with cross‑functional teams and government customers for national defense programs.

You will design electrical hardware, develop schematics and layouts, ensure EMI/EMC compliance, and contribute to tests in lab and field environments. Strong communication and DoD experience are valued assets.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field required.
• Minimum 8–12 years of relevant experience.
• U.S. citizen with active Secret clearance required.
• Understanding and application of industry electrical engineering standards.
• Experience with circuit design and application.
• Proficient in MATLAB or Python for data analysis.
• Experience with power distribution and design systems.

Responsibilities

• Design, analyze, and test electrical hardware for missile components.
• Develop schematics, PCB layouts, wiring diagrams, and cable assemblies.
• Support component selection and procurement per military standards.
• Conduct design verification, validation, and hardware troubleshooting.
• Collaborate with systems engineers to define electrical interfaces and ICDs.
• Assist with EMI/EMC testing and environmental qualification.
• Document engineering work with drawings, reports, and test plans.
• Develop labor and material estimates for programs.

Skills

Electrical design

Circuit design

Power distribution

EMI/EMC testing

Documentation

Written communication

MATLAB/Python

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

ECAD tools

MATLAB

Python

MS Office

Job description

Worker Type

Regular

Job Description

AV is seeking a highly skilled and motivated Lead Electrical Design Engineer to join our Kinetic Effectors Group. This role will support the design, development, and integration of electrical systems for the Next Generation Counter Uncrewed Aerial System Missile (NGCM) in support of national defense objectives. This is a hands‑on, mid‑career engineering role focused on embedded electronics, power systems, avionics, and missile subsystem integration and associated testing. You will work closely with cross‑functional engineering teams, government customers, and suppliers to deliver cutting‑edge solutions in a mission‑critical environment.

Key responsibilities for successful candidates:

• Design, analyze, and test electrical hardware for missile components including power distribution, control electronics, telemetry, and interface circuits.
• Develop and manage electrical schematics, PCB layouts, wiring diagrams, and cable assemblies.
• Support component selection and procurement, ensuring conformance with military and environmental standards.
• Conduct design verification, validation, and hardware troubleshooting during lab, ground, and flight tests.
• Collaborate with systems engineers to define and implement electrical interfaces, requirements, and ICDs.
• Assist in EMI/EMC compliance testing and environmental qualification (e.g., vibration, thermal, shock).
• Support integration and test activities in lab and field environments, including missile checkout procedures.
• Document engineering work through detailed drawings, reports, test plans, and configuration control systems.
• Assist with program schedule creation and hardware development planning
• Develop engineering labor and material estimates

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills & Experience)

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related is required or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience
• Minimum of 8 – 12 years of relevant experience
• Candidate must be a U.S. citizen with an active Secret security clearance.
• Understanding and application of industry electrical engineering technical standards; demonstrated electrical component design experience
• Experience with circuit design and application
• Experience using analytical software tools, such as MATLAB or Python, to analyze and reduce data to identify key characteristics and trends
• Demonstrated experience in electrical power distribution and design systems
• Ability to interpret and develop electrical schematics
• Experience with requirements‑driven hardware design and circuitry design
• Experience with classified test systems or systems subject to cyber security policies and risk management framework (RMF) engineering technical standards
• Experience with analog and digital circuit design
• Experience with printed circuit board design and layout using ECAD tools
• Ability to present engineering materials for requirements, design, and various milestones
• Experience evaluating commercial off‑the‑shelf (COTS) parts for compliance
• Experience researching, developing, designing and testing circuits, components and equipment systems
• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing is essential.
• Must be proficient in use Microsoft business tools including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

Other Qualifications & Desired Competencies

• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering.
• Experience supporting a DoD missile program from concept through flight test.
• Working knowledge of Explosives Safety and Ordnance System Safety.
• Experience developing and releasing formal engineering documentation including technical drawings, specifications, and test procedures
• Experience with telemetry systems
• Experience with mission critical and safety critical systems, components, connectors, cables, etc.
• Familiarity with MIL-STD-1901A, MIL-STD-882, EWR-127, RCC 319, RCC 324, DoDEA 8510.01, MIL-STD-461, MIL-STD-464, IEEE 802.3u, IEEE 802.3ab, ECSS-ST-50-11C
• Prior work with air-to-air, air-to-ground, or surface-to-air missile systems.

Physical Demands

• Ability to work in an office (Constant)
• Required to sit and stand for long periods; talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone keyboard (Frequent)

The AV pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Determination of official compensation or salary relies on several factors, including but not limited to, level of position, job responsibilities, geographic location, scope of relevant work experience, educational background, certifications, contract‑specific affordability, organizational requirements, alignment with local internal equity, as well as alignment with market data.

Our compensation package also includes components designed to support employees' total well-being, which should be considered when evaluating our competitive benefits package. These benefits include health insurance, life insurance, disability, company holiday and paid time off, parental leave, 401(k) company match and contributions, professional development/training reimbursements, and other work/life programs.

Clearance Level

Secret

The salary range for this role is:

$111,500 - $170,000

AeroVironment considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the location, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills.

ITAR Requirement

This position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”). In order to comply with the requirements of the ITAR and/or the EAR, applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under the ITAR and the EAR, or a person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction. Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on AeroVironment’s determination that it will be able to obtain an export license in a time frame consistent with AeroVironment’s business requirements. A “U.S. person” according to the ITAR definition is a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or protected individual such as a refugee or asylee. See 22 CFR § 120.15. Some positions will require current U.S. Citizenship due to contract requirements.

Benefits

AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental vision, 401K with company matching, a 9/80 work schedule and a paid holiday shutdown. For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit: http://www.avinc.com/myavbenefits.

We also encourage you to review our company website at http://www.avinc.com to learn more about us.

About AV

AV isn’t for everyone. We hire the curious, the relentless, the mission‑obsessed. The best of the best.

We don’t just build defense technology—we redefine what’s possible. As the premier autonomous systems company in the U.S., AV delivers breakthrough capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. From AI‑powered drones and loitering munitions to integrated autonomy and space resilience, our technologies shape the future of warfare and protect those who serve.

Founded by legendary innovator Dr. Paul MacCready, AV has spent over 50 years pushing the boundaries of what unmanned systems can do. Our heritage includes seven platforms in the Smithsonian—but we’re not building history, we’re building what’s next.

If you're ready to build technology that matters—with speed, scale, and purpose—there’s no better place to do it than AV.

We are proud to be an EEO/AA Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans. AeroVironment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants. Qualified applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic data,sexual orientation, gender identity or other legally protected status.

ITAR

U.S. Citizenship is required. Secret or Top Secret clearance, or the ability obtain a clearance is desired.