Product Engineer I

AeroVironment, Inc.; Strathearn (CA); On-site; USD 67,000 - 102,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision benefits

401K with company matching

Job summary

AeroVironment, Inc. is seeking a Product Engineer I to sustain UAV-related systems, lead change management in Agile PLM, and develop mechanical/electro-mechanical components with CAD tools such as Altium. The role includes design verification, BOM maintenance, and collaboration with manufacturing and suppliers.

Ideal candidates have a Bachelor’s degree in a related field and up to 2 years of engineering design experience, with familiarity in RF/digital electronics and configuration management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in a related field required; equivalent combination acceptable.
• 0-2 years of engineering design experience in production settings.
• Experience with Agile PLM data management and configuration standards MIL-HDBK-61A, EIA-649-B.
• Experience with unmanned air vehicles is a plus; RF and electronics design favored.

Responsibilities

• Sustains engineering support for a product line and manages change orders in Agile PLM.
• Coordinates release and update of engineering design docs, BOMs, procedures.
• Supports manufacturing and suppliers to resolve production issues.
• Assists in proposal and report writing; helps transition products to production.

Skills

RF design

Electronics design

PCB layout

Altium CAD

Configuration management

Problem solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's Degree in related field

Tools

Agile PLM

Altium

CAD software

Job description

Worker Type Regular Job Description Summary As a Product Engineer I at AeroVironment, your primary duties are sustaining engineering support for UAV systems for military and commercial applications. Includes design modifications of structural components, electro-mechanical assemblies, payloads, ground equipment, launching systems, flight control actuators, prototype hardware development, performing design verification testing, and configuration management of products. Other duties: developing & maintaining manufacturing drawings and bills of materials for components and assemblies using industry drafting standards, supporting design reviews, assisting project managers with the planning and scheduling of engineering work, and supporting manufacturing & suppliers with the production of mechanical components & assemblies.

Position Responsibilities

Sustains engineering support related to a product line; Manages product line configuration and change orders in Agile PLM system; Basic understanding of product design and features, be familiar with the manufacturing process; Basic understanding of customer performance and configuration requirements for product; Acts as a technical point of contact for ongoing support and change initiation, including managing; Assists in proposal & report writing, review of contracts for production orders; Helps coordinate the transition for new products and product variants into production; Coordinates the release and update of engineering design documentation, operator manuals, bill of materials, manufacturing procedures, product acceptance test procedures, and production tooling and test equipment; Coordinates development, testing and release of product improvements and variants in cooperation with product line manager, design engineers and project managers; Provides component obsolescence management for the product line; Provides customer support for failure analysis, field bulletin technical content, general product information; Works with suppliers, purchasing and planning to ensure resolution of technical issues that impact production; Other duties as assigned.

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills & Experience)

Bachelor's Degree in a related field of study is required or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience; 0 - 2 years of related experience in a similar role, including experience in an engineering design environment, including support of products in production; Desirable experience or attributes: Agile PLM data management system product configuration management standards (MIL-HDBK-61A, EIA-649-B); Experience with unmanned air vehicles a plus; RF, digital, and communications electronics design; Electronics manufacturing troubleshooting PCB layout, schematics and assembly's; Design/drafting/CAD (Altium), including ASME Y14 drawing standards; Basic understanding of configuration management principles; Basic understanding of Engineering fundamentals, mathematics, physics, material properties, electronics, systems, software; Ability to solve basic structural dynamics problems; Demonstrated familiarity with office software and computer-based productivity tools.

Other Qualifications & Desired Competencies

Lean Six Sigma experience preferred; Receives detailed instructions on all work and follows standard practices in analyzing data; Learns the requirements for building of production assemblies, including documentation for use on production floor; Learns to use professional concepts and build stable working relationships internally; Works on problems of limited scope and applies company procedures to resolve routine issues; Gain ability to integrate across technical disciplines and organizations, including program management, manufacturing, quality, purchasing, suppliers and customers; Able to excel in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment, where small teams share a broad variety of duties; Displays strong initiative and drive to accomplish goals and meet company objectives; Takes ownership and responsibility for current and past work products; Is committed to learning from mistakes and driven to improve and enhance performance of oneself, others, and the company; Demonstrates effective problem-solving, analytical, interpersonal and strong communication skills; Consistently demonstrates teamwork, collaboration and puts the success of the team above one's own interests.

Physical Demands

Ability to work in an office and manufacturing environment (Constant); Required to sit and stand for long periods; talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone keyboard (Frequent); Requires frequent travel to support working with suppliers, resolving product issues, participating in system tests, and supporting customers.

Clearance Level

Public Trust

Salary Range

The salary range for this role is: $66,500 - $101,500

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. ITAR U.S. Citizenship required

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.

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. We are proud to be an EEO/AA Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans.

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.

Careers at AeroVironment