Hardware Design and Test Engineer

$90K–$100K BASE SALARY EQUITY BENEFITS

WHO WE ARE

Droneforge builds low-cost autonomous aerial systems designed to accomplish real work in real environments. We combine our own hardware, autonomy software, and programmable FPV drones to make capable robotic deployments dramatically more accessible and scalable. We’re hiring a Hardware Design and Test Engineer to develop and improve our autonomous drone platforms. You’ll design and integrate electrical hardware, evaluate RF performance, build prototypes, diagnose failures, and validate complete aircraft through laboratory and flight testing.

ROLE DESCRIPTION

This is a full-time, on-site Hardware Design and Test Engineer role based in El Segundo, CA. You will own meaningful parts of the hardware pipeline, from component selection and schematic design through PCB bring-up, system integration, environmental testing, and flight validation. Your work will include designing and reviewing electronic assemblies, integrating sensors and communication systems, evaluating power and signal integrity, and testing RF links under realistic operating conditions. You will use flight and bench-test data to diagnose electrical, RF, thermal, vibration, and mechanical failures, then iterate quickly toward production-ready designs. The hardware you design and validate will become part of deployed autonomous aircraft.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Strong foundation in electrical or computer engineering, including analog and digital circuits, embedded systems, power electronics, communication interfaces, and PCB design.
• Familiarity with RF fundamentals, including antennas, link budgets, impedance matching, interference, attenuation, antenna placement, and the practical behavior of 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz wireless systems.
• Experience with schematic capture and PCB-layout tools such as KiCad, Altium Designer, or similar.
• Ability to use laboratory equipment such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, spectrum analyzers, multimeters, power supplies, and preferably vector network analyzers.
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Comfort working on-site in laboratory and flight-test environments and safely interacting with batteries, rotating aircraft, RF equipment, and prototype hardware.