Harmattan AI is a next-generation defense prime building autonomous and scalable defense systems. Following the close of a $200M Series B, valuing the company at $1.4 billion, we are expanding our teams and capabilities to deliver mission-critical systems to allied forces.
Our work is guided by clear values: building technologies with real-world impact, pursuing excellence in everything we do, setting ambitious goals, and taking on the hardest technical challenges. We operate in a demanding environment where rigor, ownership, and execution are expected.
Overview
Harmattan AI is developing new hardware products within the GCS module, including ruggedised drone controllers and long-range RF systems designed for demanding field environments. These products require dedicated electronics design with complex architecture in a constrained environment – PCBs integrating RF modules, microcontrollers, power management, and communication interfaces – optimised for cost at volume. The GCS team is seeking a dedicated hardware engineer to own electronics design end-to-end and accelerate the path to production milestones.
Ideal candidate
A senior hardware engineer who has designed and shipped complex PCBs, ideally mixing digital and power, into production. They are rigorous on schematics, layout, and bring-up, and have a strong instinct for cost and manufacturability. They are comfortable working autonomously in a small team and can bridge hardware and firmware.
Skills required
PCB schematic and layout design (Altium Designer preferred)
RF PCB design: controlled impedance, antenna matching, EMC management
Mixed-signal design: power management, MCU interfaces, communication buses (SPI, I2C, UART, USB, CAN)
Hardware bring-up and debug: bench equipment proficiency
DFM/DFA for PCB manufacturing and assembly
Component selection and BOM management
Responsibilities:
Schematic Design - Design complete schematics for mixed-signal and RF boards, from power to digital and RF sections.
PCB Layout & Routing - Perform or lead board placement and routing with attention to signal integrity, EMC, and RF constraints (6-8 layer layout, controlled impedance, ground planes, and RF traces).
Component Selection & BOM Optimisation – Select components with cost, availability, and reliability in mind; drive BOM cost reduction for mass production volumes.
Hardware Bring-up & Debug - Lead board bring-up and debug issues with oscilloscopes, spectrum analysers, and other bench equipment; write bring-up scripts when needed.
EMC & RF Compliance - Address EMC challenges; ensure signal integrity across the board and correct RF performance (antenna impedance matching and power levels).
Collaboration with Embedded SW - Work closely with the embedded software engineer to define hardware/software interfaces; support firmware bring-up.
Collaboration with Mechanical - Ensure seamless PCB integration into mechanical enclosures (connectors, mounting, thermal, shielding).
Supplier & Manufacturing Ramp-up - Qualify PCB manufacturers and assembly houses; support DFM/DFA review for production; manage NPI transitions.
Documentation - Maintain schematics, layout files, test procedures, and hardware specifications.
We look forward to hearing how you can help shape the future of autonomous defense systems at Harmattan AI.
Skills Required
- Senior-level hardware engineering experience designing and shipping complex PCBs into production
- PCB schematic and layout design experience, preferably using Altium Designer
- RF PCB design experience, including controlled impedance, antenna matching, and EMC management
- Mixed-signal design experience with power management, microcontroller interfaces, and SPI, I2C, UART, USB, or CAN buses
- Hardware bring-up and debugging experience using oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, and other bench equipment
- Design for manufacturability and design for assembly experience for PCB manufacturing and assembly
- Component selection and BOM management experience, including cost, availability, and reliability optimization
Harmattan AI Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Harmattan AI and has not been reviewed or approved by Harmattan AI.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay ranges are publicly shown for multiple U.S. roles (e.g., $140k–$200k base) and appear broadly in line with late‑stage startup/defense‑tech expectations based on the postings cited.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity is repeatedly referenced in several job postings as part of total compensation, which can increase upside potential at a recently funded, high‑valuation company.
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Strong & Reliable Incentives — Sign‑on bonuses are explicitly mentioned in a hiring post for candidates who can start quickly, indicating the use of cash incentives in at least some hiring situations.
Harmattan AI Insights
What We Do
Harmattan AI is rising as a next-generation defense prime, building the future of autonomous warfare. We leverage AI-driven autonomy, real-time intelligence, and conflict-ready production to deliver attritable systems and autonomous mission management software. Designed for the real-world needs of warfighters, our solutions enable faster deployment, sharper decision-making, and battlefield dominance.
