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 Launcher module: field-deployable drone launchers designed to be deployed and operated autonomously in demanding field environments. These products require dedicated electronics design with complex architecture in a constrained environment – PCBs integrating power conversion, energy management, control and communication interfaces – optimised for cost at volume. The Launcher 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 significant power (hundreds of watts), into production. They are rigorous on schematics, layout, and bring-up, and have a strong instinct for cost and manufacturability. They design with real-world operating conditions in mind - temperature, moisture, surges - and an interest in battery thermal management; direct experience of outdoor-deployed equipment is a plus rather than a prerequisite. 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)
Power electronics design: ~300 W DC/DC conversion, protection, derating, efficiency and thermal budgets
Thermal regulation: temperature sensing and control loops, battery storage temperature management, heatsinking
Power over Ethernet (IEEE 802.3af/at/bt): combined power and data delivery, isolation, cable budgets
Mixed-signal design: power management, MCU interfaces, communication buses (SPI, I2C, UART, USB, CAN, Ethernet)
Hardware bring-up and debug: bench equipment proficiency
DFM/DFA for PCB manufacturing and assembly
Component selection and BOM management
Experience in lightning and surge protection is a plus
Responsibilities:
Schematic Design - Design complete schematics for mixed-signal and power boards, from power stages to digital and communication sections.
PCB Layout & Routing - Perform or lead board placement and routing with attention to signal integrity, EMC, and power-path constraints.
Power & Thermal Architecture - Define and validate the power architecture of the product and the thermal strategy, including battery temperature management.
Environmental Robustness - Ensure the electronics withstand outdoor deployment conditions and define the associated qualification plan.
Component Selection & BOM Optimization - 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, debug issues with oscilloscopes, power bench equipment, and other bench equipment; write bring-up scripts when needed.
EMC & Safety Compliance - Address EMC challenges; ensure signal integrity across the board and electrical safety of the power and battery sections.
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, sealing, 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
- PCB schematic and layout design, preferably using Altium Designer
- Power electronics design involving approximately 300 W DC/DC conversion, protection, derating, efficiency, and thermal budgets
- Thermal regulation, temperature sensing, control loops, battery temperature management, and heatsinking
- Power over Ethernet using IEEE 802.3af/at/bt
- Mixed-signal design involving power management, MCU interfaces, and SPI, I2C, UART, USB, CAN, and Ethernet
- Hardware bring-up and debugging proficiency with oscilloscopes and power bench equipment
- DFM and DFA for PCB manufacturing and assembly
- Component selection and BOM management
- Lightning and surge protection experience
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.
