Senior Hardware Engineer

Pivotal; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 82,000 - 188,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative company at the forefront of eVTOL technology is seeking a Senior Hardware Engineer to join their dynamic Electrical Engineering team. This role involves designing and testing advanced avionics and electronics for groundbreaking aircraft. You'll collaborate with mechanical teams, develop detailed CAD models, and ensure robust functionality of electronic assemblies. With a focus on innovation, you'll play a vital role in shaping the future of urban mobility. If you're passionate about cutting-edge technology and eager to make an impact, this is the perfect opportunity for you.

Benefits

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) plan

Disability insurance

Qualifications

• 5+ years experience in electrical board and harness design.
• Proven experience in harness 2D design and vehicle harness development.
• Experience with PCB layout and schematic capture.

Responsibilities

• Design and manage CAD models for harnesses and cables.
• Create schematic capture using Altium Designer.
• Participate in design reviews and product validation activities.

Skills

Electrical board design

Harness design

CAD (CATIA, Altium)

Circuit troubleshooting

Analog and digital circuit design

Communication protocols (SPI, UART, CAN)

Root cause analysis

Firmware debugging

Education

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science

Tools

Altium Designer

CATIA

Job description

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This range is provided by Pivotal. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

$82,500.00/yr - $187,500.00/yr

Direct message the job poster from Pivotal

Pivotal is the leader in the emerging market of electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft. We design, develop, and manufacture light eVTOL aircraft and are renowned for the BlackFly, the first light eVTOL to fly manned missions and enter the consumer market.

Efficient, compact, and simple, Pivotal vehicles are designed for a wide range of consumer, public service, and defense applications. Our distinctive tilt-aircraft architecture and scalable platform have been in development, preparing to enter the market for over 10 years. We recently announced our next-generation aircraft, the Helix, planned for general release and scalable production in early 2025.

Mobility is one of the most highly-valued areas of technology investment today. This is the right company, in the right space, the right strategy, at the right time. We invite you to join our amazing team and grow with us.

About the job

We are looking for a mid-to-senior level engineer to join our EE team. As part of the Electrical Engineering team, you will assist in the design, manufacturing, and testing of Pivotal’s avionics and electronics. You do not need to match every listed expectation to apply for this position. We believe a wide variety of skills and backgrounds are necessary to encourage innovation.

Responsibilities

• Design the routing and retention of harnesses, cables, and connectors to ensure ease of assembly, serviceability, and robust functionality
• Develop BOMs, wire, and material specifications
• Create and manage CAD (3D models, assemblies, 2D drawings) using CATIA and Altium for: low-voltage, high-voltage, and vehicle interconnects
• Select wire to terminal crimp combination
• Work with schematic and mechanical team to develop harness portioning based on best practices and to ease general assembly process
• Work with mechanical engineering teams on harness drawings, solving package issues and finalizing connector selection
• Create harness MFG drawings/rework instructions for complex vehicle wire harnesses. Working with external suppliers and internal prototyping build team to take 3D designs to physical product for development
• Merge harness schematics with 3D designs into a consistent data set that we submit to harness manufacturers
• Work with Quality Engineers on incoming quality checks and harness rework activities
• Support escalated issues as needed and participate in triaging of issues with different teams and harness suppliers
• Take ownership of multiple electronic assemblies on the aircraft throughout the design lifecycle
• Create schematic capture using Altium Designer and have understanding of reviewing PCB layout, while adhering to industry standards and best practices
• Create efficient production testing solutions for electronic assemblies
• Design and carry out design validation testing for our electronics and sensors
• Analyze electronics and components for failures in manufacturing and operations
• Perform root cause analysis and implement fixes to improve yield, performance, reliability, and/or manufacturability
• Iterate on existing designs and develop innovative solutions to new problems
• Participate in design reviews, risk assessments, and product validation activities to ensure compliance with regulations

Qualifications

• 5+ years relevant experience in electrical board and harness design
• Bachelor of Science in the areas of Electrical, Mechanical, Computer Science or related fields
• Experience taking at least one product through the entire development lifecycle
• Proven experience and knowledge in mechanical and electrical systems and fundamentals
• Proven experience in harness 2D design and vehicle harness development
• Proven experience with harness schematic tools
• Harness packaging/manufacturing experience and debugging skills
• Experience with PCB layout and schematic capture using Altium Designer
• Experience with common communication protocols (SPI, UART, CAN)
• Strong understanding of analog and digital circuit design concepts
• Proficient at troubleshooting circuits with appropriate lab tools and equipment
• Familiarity with firmware (C/C++) debugging tools/processes in embedded systems
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple tasks simultaneously
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment

Bonus Qualifications

• Experience in automotive or aerospace industry
• Prototype and medium volume manufacturing
• Proficiency in CAD (Computer Aided Design) software (CATIA preferred)
• Proficient at test script writing, Python preferred

Personal Attributes

• Resourceful, curious, and never satisfied with the status quo
• Always thinking about how to make things more efficient
• Ability to identify and communicate risks, mitigate and drive issues to closure
• Attention to detail, ability to prioritize
• Ability to build stuff with your hands
• Thrive in a fast-moving, stimulating, and supportive team environment
• Strong work ethic and detail-oriented
• Love learning and being challenged

Applicants must be eligible for employment in the United States and willing to work onsite at our HQ office in Palo Alto, CA.

Pivotal offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, and 401k plans.

Pivotal is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Pivotal does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Industries

  Aviation and Aerospace Component Manufacturing

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Inferred from the description for this job

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

401(k)

Disability insurance

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