Principal Systems Architect, RF Communications Hardware | Axon 911 R & D (Remote Eligible | Relocation Assistance Available)

Axon; Scottsdale (AZ); Hybrid; USD 137,000 - 211,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k matching

Paid time off

Paid parental leave

Medical, dental, and vision plans

Wellness programs

Learning & Development programs

Snacks in offices

Job summary

Axon seeks a Principal Hardware Systems Architect with deep RF expertise to lead system-level design across mission-critical hardware products. You will define standards, architecture, and processes while partnering with RF, EE, SW, and ME leads to deliver production-ready devices.

You will travel domestically up to 50% and collaborate with ODM/JDM and manufacturing teams to ensure design-for-manufacturing and regulatory compliance.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of hardware engineering experience required.
• Deep expertise in RF systems architecture, including wireless communications, antenna integration, RF coexistence, and system-level RF design.
• Proven experience owning end-to-end hardware systems architecture from concept to mass production.
• Ability to translate product requirements into technical specifications and drive cross-functional decisions.
• Experience with EVT/DVT/PVT, regulatory certification, and production ramp.

Responsibilities

• Develop system architecture with consideration for RF, EE, SW, ME, and product management.
• Create system architectures, block diagrams, and interaction diagrams to guide implementation.
• Analyze power, thermal, and computational budgets and balance performance, size, and cost.
• Lead cross-functional design reviews and drive stakeholder buy-in.
• Own system-level verification and validation strategy and manage risk.

Skills

RF systems architecture

Cross-disciplinary coordination

Hardware design leadership

System requirements

Trade-off analysis

Job description

At Axon, we’re on a mission to Protect Life. We’re explorers, pursuing society’s most critical safety and justice issues with our ecosystem of devices and cloud software. Like our products, we work better together. We connect with candor and care, seeking out diverse perspectives from our customers, communities and each other.

Life at Axon is fast-paced, challenging and meaningful. Here, you’ll take ownership and drive real change. Constantly grow as you work hard for a mission that matters at a company where you matter.

Join Axon and be a Force for Good.

At Axon, we’re on a mission to Protect Life. We’re explorers, pursuing society’s most critical safety and justice issues with our ecosystem of devices and cloud software. Like our products, we work better together. We connect with candor and care, seeking out diverse perspectives from our customers, communities and each other.

Life at Axon is fast-paced, challenging and meaningful. Here, you’ll take ownership and drive real change. Constantly grow as you work hard for a mission that matters at a company where you matter.

About Axon 911

Axon 911 brings together Prepared and Carbyne under Axon. Together, we are creating the only platform that combines modern 911 infrastructure with an AI intelligence layer—helping public safety agencies move faster, make better decisions, and deliver better outcomes in the moments that matter most.

911 is the backbone of public safety, yet the professionals behind it have long been held back by outdated technology. Axon 911 is here to change that. Joining this team means more than taking a job—it means helping shape the future of emergency response and building a safer, more connected world.

Your Impact

We are seeking a Principal Hardware Systems Architect with deep expertise in Radio Frequency (RF) systems architecture to lead system-level design and technical integration across our mission-critical hardware products. While RF expertise is foundational to this role, we're looking for someone who understands the interdependencies across electrical, mechanical, thermal, and power domains and can make informed architectural decisions without necessarily being a subject matter expert in each discipline.

Joining as a founding leader within the Axon 911 hardware team, you will define and drive the technical standards, architecture, and engineering processes that shape how our mission-critical hardware is designed, validated, and scaled to mass production.

You will partner closely with RF, Electrical Engineering (EE), Software Engineering (SW), and Mechanical Engineering (ME) leads to define system requirements, evaluate cross-functional tradeoffs, and ensure each subsystem comes together as a cohesive, production-ready device.

When technical constraints compete, from RF performance and antenna integration to enclosure design, thermal budgets, and power delivery, you will be responsible for understanding the implications, aligning technical stakeholders, and driving clear system-level decisions.

What You’ll Do

System Architecture & Design

• Develop system architecture with consideration for industrial design, electrical design, RF integration, mechanical design, software, and product management.
• Build system architectures, block diagrams, and interaction diagrams to guide implementation.
• Analyze power, thermal, and computational budget constraints, and develop solutions that balance performance, size, and cost.
• Lead concept studies with internal and external development teams and present outcomes and recommendations.

Systems Requirements

• Write and vet system requirements with clear, testable design targets for engineering and test teams.
• Review and provide input on product requirements for next-generation devices.
• Simulate and estimate subsystem capability against requirements.
• Manage requirements and maintain traceability from PRD through V&V.

Technical Leadership

• Lead cross-discipline design reviews and organize cross-functional system reviews, building stakeholder buy-in.
• Resolve competing engineering constraints and provide technical direction to EE, RF, and ME leads.

Design verification, validation planning & risk mitigation

• Own the system-level verification and validation strategy, catching integration risks before certification and production.
• Perform risk analysis, develop mitigation strategies, and close the loop on design characterization and verification results.
• Carry technical accountability for program schedule and risk, translating complex engineering tradeoffs into clear decisions for program and executive leadership.

Manufacturing & Certification

• Partner with ODM/JDM and manufacturing teams on DFM/DFA, engineering builds, and production readiness.
• Own the system-level certification strategy across U.S. and international regulatory standards.

What You Bring

• 10+ years of hardware engineering experience, with deep expertise in RF systems architecture, including wireless communications, antenna integration, RF coexistence, and system-level RF design.
• Strong working knowledge of electrical, mechanical, thermal, and power domains, with the ability to evaluate cross-disciplinary dependencies, navigate competing constraints, and drive informed architectural decisions without requiring deep specialization in each discipline.
• Proven experience owning end-to-end hardware systems architecture, translating product requirements into technical specifications, and driving cross-functional engineering decisions for complex, integrated hardware.
• Track record of bringing compact, connected, battery-powered hardware from concept through mass production, including EVT/DVT/PVT, regulatory certification, production readiness, and manufacturing ramp.
• Deep experience in RF integration, antenna performance, EMI/EMC, interference mitigation, and shielding, with an understanding of how enclosure design, thermal management, and power constraints impact RF performance.
• Demonstrated ownership of ODM/JDM or contract manufacturing partnerships, including technical design reviews, validation, issue resolution, and production ramp, with familiarity across U.S. and international wireless regulatory requirements (FCC, CE/RED, carrier certifications).
• Strong technical judgment, ownership, and resourcefulness, with the ability to define measurable system requirements, resolve complex engineering tradeoffs, communicate technical risks to leadership, and establish scalable engineering standards in a fast-paced environment.

Travel

Flexibility to travel domestically up to 50% of the time, as needed, to support the team.

Work Location

This position offers a hybrid work arrangement and requires regular travel to our Hardware Engineering Lab in Boston, MA, with onsite presence based on project needs and development timelines.

• Relocation Assistance: Relocation support is available for qualified candidates who are currently based in the U.S., authorized to work for a U.S. employer, and open to relocating closer to one of our regional hubs.
• Fully Remote Eligibility: Full-time remote eligibility will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to accommodate specific needs.

Benefits that Benefit You

• Competitive salary and 401k with employer match
• Discretionary paid time off
• Paid parental leave for all
• Medical, dental, and vision plans
• Fitness Programs
• Emotional & Mental Wellness support
• Learning & Development programs
• And yes, we have snacks in our offices

Benefits listed herein may vary depending on the nature of your employment and the location where you work.

Pay Transparency

Axon offers a comprehensive total compensation package, which includes base salary, a generous annual bonus, and company equity.

The starting base annual pay for this role is between $137,325.00 - $210,565.00 excluding annual bonuses, and equity depending on your geographic market. The actual base salary will vary based on several factors, including level, function, training, transferable skills, work experience, business needs, and location—often a combination of these elements.

Our benefits are designed to support you physically, financially, and emotionally—through life’s major milestones and in your everyday moments. To learn more about our benefits, please visit www.axon.com/careers/benefits.

Don’t meet every single requirement? That's ok. At Axon, we Aim Far. We think big with a long-term view because we want to reinvent the world to be a safer, better place. We are also committed to building diverse teams that reflect the communities we serve.

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they check every box in the job description. If you’re excited about this role and our mission to Protect Life but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification listed here, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Important Notes

The above job description is not intended as, nor should it be construed as, exhaustive of all duties, responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with this job. The job description may change or be supplemented at any time in accordance with business needs and conditions.

Some roles may also require legal eligibility to work in a firearms environment.

We collect personal information from applicants to evaluate candidates for employment. You may request access, deletion, or exercise other CCPA rights at [e-mail] or via our Axon Privacy Web Form. For more information, please see the Your California Privacy Rights section of our Applicant and Candidate Privacy Notice.

Axon’s mission is to Protect Life and is committed to the well-being and safety of its employees as well as Axon’s impact on the environment. All Axon employees must be aware of and committed to the appropriate environmental, health, and safety regulations, policies, and procedures. Axon employees are empowered to report safety concerns as they arise and activities potentially impacting the environment.

We are an equal opportunity employer that promotes justice, advances equity and values diversity. We’re committed to hiring the best talent — regardless of race, creed, color, ancestry, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship status, marital status, disability, gender identity, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances — and empowering all of our employees so they can do their best work. If you have a disability or special need ... please email [e-mail]. Please note that this email address is for accommodation purposes only. Axon will not respond to inquiries for other purposes.