New

Director, Hardware Engineering

PDW
YEAR
life insurance, parental leave, paid time off, 401(k)
United States, Alabama, Huntsville
400 Diamond Drive Northwest (Show on map)
Mar 07, 2026
Company Overview Performance Drone Works (PDW) builds technologies for the warfighter, by the warfighter. Born out of the Drone Racing League, our roots are competitive, our mindset is tactical, and our mission is clear: deliver purpose-built unmanned systems to those who serve. We are not here to sell vapor; we build and ship real capabilities for real missions. Now, we're entering a new phase of growth and are looking for a Director of Hardware Engineering to join our team, contributing to the next wave of system and tool development for our upcoming product lines. A successful candidate will play a senior leadership role in ensuring seamless execution of hardware engineering design projects within a fast paced, production focused environment. This individual will lead in the planning, coordination, and driving of hardware development cycles from initial design through sustainment for a variety of sUAS systems. What You'll Do The ideal candidate will thrive in leading a team within an innovative and fast-paced work environment, able to deal with problems on the fly, and delivers thoughtfully designed and highly adaptable systems on time. Lead, mentor, and grow a team of world-class hardware engineers to design and deliver high-quality hardware and systems. Directs and coordinates the activities of the Hardware Engineering Department including planning, setting priorities and assignment of resources. Work to execute effective tasking and work management structures within sprint planning, product/requirements formation, and other engineering planning and controls rituals. Form and execute strong systems for configuration management and production support, emplacing resources (staff and tools) in support workstreams. Oversee, assist and review during hardware development processes including schematic, layout, procurement, testing and deployment. Identify and mitigate technical risks while ensuring high-reliability product development. Oversee relationships with key suppliers, contract manufacturers, and external engineering partners. Work directly with procurement team in identification, qualification, and management of primary department and company suppliers. Participate in interviewing, hiring, mentoring, and training employees within the Hardware Engineering Department. Oversee formation of PCBA part availability program to mitigate risks, part obsolesce and piece-part risk purchasing program with Procurement Team. Oversee formation of and contribute to team 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. Collaborate with a strong engineering team and company stakeholders. Requirements Expert-level Hardware Engineering team leadership experience of at least seven years or more. Exceptional problem-solving skills and a hands-on approach to leadership. Expert-level experience and knowledge of electronic hardware and system design. Expert-level experience with Altium Designer or other PCB design software. Experience working in a multi-disciplined development environment including Product, Software, Mechanical, Testing and Manufacturing teams. Experience with designing and delivering engineering solutions for high volume production. Experience in creating detailed tasking and execution plans from high level project requirements. Experience with high power systems; including a strong understanding of circuit design constraints inside these systems. Experience with MIPI-CSI, MIPI-DSI, Gigabit Ethernet and other high speed signals. Strong understanding of design constraints for implementing high-speed signals. Knowledge of common communication buses; such as I2C, CAN, UART, and SPI - along with their debugging procedures. Experience with designing PCB stack ups that are optimized for power and thermal distribution and noise reduction. Experience in UAV, UAS, aircraft or robotics development, and/or hobby drones is highly preferred. Proficiency in MS Office tools. Proficiency with the Atlassian tool suite, including Jira and Confluence. Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and 10-15 years professional Hardware Engineering experience. 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 standard machine shop 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 works hours for this position are 8:30am-5:00pm with occasional overtime as operational needs demand. Benefits PDW values our team, and we offer a compensation package reflective of your experience and capabilities. Benefits include: Comprehensive BCBS medical, dental, and vision coverage; 80% sponsored by the company. Safe Harbor 401(K) with company match. Paid Parental Leave. On-site gym at our Huntsville, AL location. Employer provided life insurance. Robust Employee Assistance Program (EAP). A work environment that encourages teamwork and innovation. 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.