Lead Hardware Engineer - DoD Embedded VPX Expert (Onsite)

Curtiss-Wright Corporation; Ashburn (GA); On-site; USD 109,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Time Off

401K with Employer Match and Profit Sh

Health and Wellness Benefits

Learning and Development Opportunities

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Job summary

Curtiss-Wright is seeking a Lead Hardware Engineer for an onsite role to drive the design and development of complex electrical boards including 3U/6U VPX SBCs, FPGA, switch, and I/O cards. The role spans hardware, firmware, and software interfaces, delivering secure, high-reliability solutions.

You will lead engineering teams through design, testing, qualification, and production, translating customer needs into robust architectures and drive best practices across projects.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum 8 years of experience in DoD embedded systems and hardware design.
• Extensive experience designing mixed-signal, high-speed digital, analog, and low-power, high-current circuits in high-reliability environments.
• Strong experience designing HDI PCBs, including complex multi-layer designs, multi-lamination processes, blind/buried vias, and uVia structures.
• Hands‑on experience with Siemens Expedition DX Designer (SCH) and Siemens Expedition PCB tools.
• US Citizenship required ; active DoD security clearance preferred

Responsibilities

• Lead collaboration with engineering, project management, test, and operations teams in small, highly integrated, multidisciplinary teams to meet demanding customer requirements.
• Lead the design and development of 3U and 6U VPX SBC, FPGA, switch, and I/O cards supporting high-speed data processing applications.
• Lead the design and development of custom form-factor systems incorporating SBC, FPGA, switch, and I/O cards, power supplies, and thermal management elements, including Liquid-Flow-Through (LFT) methods.
• Provide technical leadership in translating customer requirements into system architectures, functional designs, and hardware solutions.
• Evaluate technical feasibility and recommend design approaches balancing performance, cost, reliability, and manufacturability.
• Act as a technical lead for hardware development activities, supporting project execution, design reviews, and technical decision-making.
• Lead hardware testing, qualification, and troubleshooting activities to ensure compliance with requirements and customer expectations.
• Establish and promote engineering best practices to improve product performance, reliability, and time-to-market (TTM).
• Develop, review, and maintain technical procedures, design documentation, and engineering manuals.
• Mentor engineers and provide technical direction to support team development and successful project execution.

Skills

DoD embedded systems

Hardware design

Technical leadership

Communication skills

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

Siemens Expedition DX Designer

Siemens Expedition PCB tools

Job description

Curtiss-Wright is seeking a Lead Hardware Engineer for an onsite role to drive the design and development of complex electrical boards including 3U/6U VPX SBCs, FPGA, switch, and I/O cards. The role spans hardware, firmware, and software interfaces, delivering secure, high-reliability solutions.

You will lead engineering teams through design, testing, qualification, and production, translating customer needs into robust architectures and drive best practices across projects.