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.
About the Role
Power electronics are the bottleneck on every next-generation UAS airframe we build: motor controllers, gate drivers, and DC-DC stages are what define flight time, payload, thermal envelope, and field reliability. We're looking for a senior IC to own the analog power chain end-to-end across our UXV platforms: from MOSFET commutation simulation through PCB layout to lab validation. You will be the technical reference on power electronics inside our Lausanne engineering hub, unblocking propulsion, airframe, and embedded teams in parallel as we scale from prototype cadence to multi-platform deployment.
This is a builder role, not a research seat. You ship hardware.
Responsibilities
Power Stage Architecture: Lead motor-controller and DC-DC topology across fixed-wing, multicopter, and hybrid UXV platforms. Translate mission constraints into power-chain specification.
MOSFET Commutation & Gate-Drive Design: Own the analog switching design: dead-time tuning, gate shaping, switching-loss vs EMI vs thermal trade-offs.
Multi-fidelity Simulation: Deploy the full stack: analytical loss budgeting, transient SPICE (LTspice), system-level modelling in PLECS or Simulink.
BLDC Drive Stages: Design three-phase inverters with integrated current sensing, protection, Trapezoidal and FOC-aware hardware interfaces.
High-Power-Density PCBA: Lead schematic and layout in Altium or KiCad with thermal, parasitics, and EMC engineered in from the first revision.
EMI / EMC Engineering: Drive pre-compliance, filter design, and root-cause debug under flight-representative loads.
Prototype-to-Production: Take motor-controller PCBAs through revision discipline, DFM, and qualification - closing the loop on field returns.
Lab Validation: Execute bench characterization (power analysers, oscilloscopes, thermal imaging, double-pulse testing) and reconcile against simulation.
Firmware & Controls Interface: Partner with embedded and propulsion on FOC tuning, current-sense calibration, and the hardware/firmware compensation boundary.
Design Authority & Mentorship: Set the bar via design-decision records and reference designs. Mentor 1–2 junior engineers.
Candidate Requirements
MSc or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Power Electronics, or equivalent.
5+ years of hands-on R&D experience on motor drives, BLDC/PMSM controllers, or high-power-density power electronics.
Deep working mastery of MOSFET commutation design: gate-driver selection, dead-time tuning, switching transitions, loss budgets.
Proven ownership of at least one motor-controller PCBA shipped from prototype through production (or pre-production qualification): ideally on drone, robotics, eVTOL, or automotive platforms.
Fluency in simulation (LTspice, PLECS, or Simulink) and PCB design (Altium).
Strong, hard-earned intuition for EMI / EMC design and debug.
Lab-bench discipline: you've personally debugged what simulation missed.
Comfort with scale-up iteration speed and end-to-end ownership.
English fluent (working language); French is a nice-to-have, not a requirement.
Bonus points for: GaN / SiC experience, safety-critical design exposure , applied control theory implemented in hardware, exposure to defense, aerospace, or UAS programmes.
We look forward to hearing how you can help shape the future of autonomous defense systems at Harmattan AI.
Skills Required
- MSc or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Power Electronics, or equivalent
- 5+ years of hands-on R&D experience with motor drives, BLDC/PMSM controllers, or high-power-density power electronics
- Deep expertise in MOSFET commutation design, gate-driver selection, dead-time tuning, switching transitions, and loss budgets
- Ownership of a motor-controller PCBA shipped from prototype through production or pre-production qualification
- Fluency with LTspice, PLECS, or Simulink and PCB design using Altium
- Strong EMI/EMC design and debugging experience
- Hands-on lab debugging and validation experience
- Comfort with rapid iteration and end-to-end hardware ownership
- Fluent English
- French language proficiency
- GaN or SiC experience
- Safety-critical design experience
- Applied control theory implemented in hardware
- Defense, aerospace, or UAS program 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.
