Hardware Engineer

About the Role

The Hardware Engineer within AQNav is anticipated to play an integral role in developing hardware, firmware, and other validation tools for the prototyping and product development team. This role will work closely with our research team on the rapid iteration of concepts and the development of novel sensing systems.

This role will be on-site and hands-on, working on various projects across the Sensing organization as needed. This team member will be required to travel, potentially internationally, to support test programs with partners and provide field support on an occasional basis. This role requires a hands-on approach to both design and field operations, ensuring reliable and efficient system functionality throughout the product lifecycle.

As a Hardware Engineer, you will be involved in developing novel, multi-modal, sensing systems. You will play a critical role in building prototypes from the earliest stages of development to field deployments. You will be responsible for three major work streams:

1. Discovery: You will work with our Research and Development team to conceptualize, source, build, and validate new, innovative prototype devices.
2. Design: Follow Design for Excellence (DFX) principles to de-risk all elements of the system architecture to ensure a smooth transition from prototype to scalable, testable production.
3. Assessment: You will work with these teams to evaluate the performance of these devices and identify paths for future improvement. You will also identify problem areas in need of remediation or new conceptual approaches.
4. Implementation: You will be the hands-on expert in bringing these concepts to reality and fielding these devices in real-life environments.
5. Support: Provide comprehensive field support, including managing deployments, troubleshooting, and optimizing hardware performance in diverse real-world environments

What You’ll Do

• Design, code, and construct prototype systems to transform conceptual designs into testable, functional hardware.
• Develop technical roadmaps that integrate Design for Excellence (DFX) principles, de-risking all aspects of the system architecture and ensuring a smooth transition from prototyping to scalable production.
• Collaborate closely with the R&D team and stakeholders across product, software engineering, and customer engineering to manage expectations, timelines, and hardware readiness.
• Generate comprehensive design, safety, and certification documentation to meet industry standards.
• Identify and evaluate technical risks, conducting cost-benefit analyses to support informed decision-making.
• Manage field deployments of prototype products, overseeing all aspects of logistics, setup, and performance validation.
• Travel to project sites to integrate hardware systems, monitor performance, and ensure reliable operation in real-world environments.
• Collect, evaluate, and analyze data from deployed systems, communicating insights and results to internal teams and external partners to drive product development.

About You

• U.S. Citizenship is required due to USG contract requirements.
• Must be able to obtain and hold a U.S. Secret security clearance.
• You’re willing and able to work from our Palo Alto location 80% of the time (hybrid). 
• You hold a master's level education in Electrical, Computer, Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline and 3+ years of experience in a rapid prototyping industry.
• You’re willing and able to travel internationally if required (less than 25% of the time) to support operational units, including military installations.
• You can diagram and specify requirements at system, subsystem, and component levels to aid in the realization of design decisions. 
• You function effectively as a team player, adept at multitasking across a portfolio of projects and managing competing priorities within specified timelines.
• You have a demonstrated capacity to learn new sensor modalities and concepts, including but not limited to quantum sensors.
• Proficient in high- and low-level programming (e.g. Python, Juia, C, C++, Rust, MatLab, etc.).

Nice to Haves

• Desire to build things from scratch.
• Guidance, Navigation, and Control experience.
• Passion for Physics and AI.
• Knowledge of Aerospace applications and environments.
• Experience building real-time systems in RTOS environments.
• Bonus - Familiarity with magnetometers, accelerometers, gyroscopes, precision clocks, and other navigation-related sensors.

We encourage candidates to apply by October 16, 2024. We are committed to a thorough and equitable review process and will begin evaluating all applications after the aforementioned deadline. Each application will be carefully reviewed, and we will reach out to candidates whose qualifications align closely with the role. All applicants will be notified of their status via email.

The US base salary range for this full-time position is expected to be $142k-$198k per year. Our salary ranges are determined by role and level. Within the range, individual pay is determined by factors including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. This role may be eligible for annual discretionary bonuses and equity.