Senior Electrical Engineer

PDW; Huntsville (AL); On-site; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage

Safe Harbor 401(K) with company match

Paid Parental Leave

On-site gym

Competitive salary and paid time off

Job summary

Performance Drone Works (PDW) in Huntsville, AL is seeking a Senior Electrical Engineer to contribute to the next wave of system and tool development. The role involves hardware design, including schematic capture, layout, and validation testing for various sUAS systems.

Ideal candidates have strong skills in Altium Designer, extensive knowledge of electronic hardware design, and experience with high power systems. The position offers a comprehensive benefits package including health coverage and a 401(K).

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of professional hardware engineering experience.
• Knowledge of communication buses like I2C, CAN, Serial, and SPI.
• Ability to perform hardware design tasks related to electronic systems.

Responsibilities

• Perform hardware design tasks such as schematic capture and layout.
• Collaborate with the hardware team on trajectories for projects.
• Develop testing criteria and plans for design verification.

Skills

Altium Designer

Electronic hardware and system design

High speed signaling

Custom Altium jobs

PCB stack-ups

UAV aircrafts experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

MS Office tools

Job description

Performance Drone Works (PDW) is building the next generation of tactical robotic systems used across defense, national security, and public safety missions. We are building a new center of engineering excellence to design our new category of tactical robotic systems and the industrial capacity to deliver them, bringing decisive airpower into the hands of every operator. We are not here to make promises; we are here to deliver real systems with real capabilities for real missions.

You will join a team of operators, engineers, and builders who solve hard problems with humility and focus. We design and produce multi-mission aerial systems that operators trust to perform in real-world conditions, reliably, repeatedly, and at scale. Our approach is grounded in operator-centered design, rapid iteration from field use, and U.S.-based manufacturing. We operate by a clear set of values: Mission First, Aim Farther, Own It, Win Together. This is how we build advantage and how we help protect our service members, our communities, and our country.

Now, we’re entering a new phase of growth and are looking for a Senior Electrical Engineer to join our team, contributing to the next wave of system and tool development for our upcoming product lines. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in assisting in architectural design, parts selection, validation test design, and overseeing hardware and software development cycles for a variety of sUAS systems.

What You’ll Do

• Perform Hardware design tasks such as schematic capture, schematic review, layout, layout review, architecture design and parts selection.
• Work together with the Hardware team to develop trajectories for our hardware projects.
• Develop testing criteria, plans and test fixtures for design verification and production certification.
• Generate engineering-grade reports, perform part cost analysis, and define part performance measurement criteria.
• Assist in the identification and implementation of process improvements.
• Collaborate with a strong engineering team and company stakeholders.

Requirements

• Strong skills in Altium Designer.
• Extensive knowledge of electronic hardware and system design.
• Experience with controlled impedance, length matching, and/or high speed signaling.
• Experience with MIPI-CSI, MIPI-DSI, Gigabit Ethernet and other high speed signals.
• Experience with high power systems; including a strong understanding of circuit design constraints inside these systems.
• Knowledge of common communication buses such as I2C, CAN, Serial, and SPI – along with their debugging procedures.
• Ability to create PCB stack-ups that are optimized for power distribution and noise reduction.
• Experience developing custom Altium jobs, Draftsman fabrication, and assembly documents.
• Candidates with experience in UAV aircrafts, robotics development, and/or hobby drones are highly preferred.
• Proficiency in MS Office tools, including Project.
• 3‑5 Years Professional Hardware Engineering Experience and/or bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering.

Preferred

• Experience in UAV aircrafts, robotics development, and/or hobby drones.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Ability to sit, stand, bend, reach, climb, and move about regularly throughout the day and lift/carry up to 50 pounds. Must have manual dexterity to operate electronic test and fabrication equipment as well as standard office equipment. Must be physically capable of tolerating loud noise, heat, cold, dust, or chemicals (with PPE).

Work Environment

This position typically operates in a standard office setting and manufacturing environment. This role requires use of standard office equipment and may involve exposure to loud noise, heat, cold, dust, or chemicals (with PPE) and may require occasional travel to test sites/customer locations/supplier facilities. This position may have exposure to outdoor weather conditions, noise, and non‑climate‑controlled environments. May require the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) depending on the environment. This is a fast‑paced work environment and requires cross‑departmental collaboration with independent and team‑based responsibilities. Standard work hours for this position are 8:30am‑5:00pm with occasional overtime as operational needs demand.

Benefits

• Comprehensive BCBS medical, dental, and vision coverage; 80% sponsored by the company.
• Safe Harbor 401(K) with company match.
• Paid Parental Leave.
• A work environment that encourages teamwork and innovation.
• On‑site gym at our Huntsville, AL location.
• Employer provided life insurance.
• Robust Employee Assistant Program (EAP).
• Competitive salary, generous paid time off (PTO), and flexible leave options.

EEO Statement

PDW is an equal opportunity employer that upholds all federal and state non‑discrimination laws. We ensure a fair and unbiased evaluation for employment for all qualified candidates regardless of race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, marital status, medical condition, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.