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True Talent Solutions Partners
Actively hiring
Lead Hardware Engineer
- Workplace
- On-site
- Commitment
- Full-time
- Seniority
- Lead
- Salary
- $180,000-240,000/yr
- Posted
Location
Hawthorne, United States
This is a high-ownership hardware architecture role at an early-stage defense hardware company building a chip-based LiDAR seeker system for counter-UAS interceptors. The person in this role will be the first dedicated hardware architecture leader, translating photonics simulations into a ruggedized, flight-qualified physical product. Sitting at the intersection of the photonics, electrical, and mechanical teams, they will shape the entire hardware stack from the ground up, deliver an initial physical prototype and CAD model, own certification and qualification for partner missile platforms, and hire and lead a small hardware engineering team.
Responsibilities
- Define the full hardware architecture for a LiDAR missile seeker, including mechanical packaging, lens mounting, PCB placement, and seeker diameter.
- Deliver an initial physical prototype and CAD model within the first 60 to 90 days to demonstrate form factor and system capabilities to partners.
- Own the certification and qualification process required to mount the seeker on partner missile platforms, including compliance documentation.
- Serve as the integration layer between photonics and electrical teams, packaging optical and power architectures into a high-G ruggedized system ready for flight.
- Hire and lead a small hardware engineering team, setting the technical bar for hands-on prototyping and system builds.
Requirements
- 8 or more years of experience in hardware or systems engineering for defense or aerospace applications.
- Prior experience designing or integrating a seeker or payload on a missile platform at a prime defense contractor or national laboratory.
- Strong background in system architecture for electro-optical or active sensing hardware, including optomechanical design, lens mounting, and seeker packaging.
- Hands-on experience with missile qualification certifications and ruggedization for high-G environments.
- Proficiency with CAD tools such as SolidWorks and familiarity with MIL-STD-810 environmental testing, including shock, vibration, and thermal analysis.
- Experience leading or hiring a small hardware engineering team.
- Degree in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, optical engineering, or physics.
- U.S. Person status under ITAR and ability to obtain a security clearance are required.
Nice to have
- Background in LiDAR, imaging, or electro-optical systems is a strong plus.
- Experience with prototype-to-production transitions, design reviews, and qualification builds is a plus.
Benefits
- Base salary range: $180,000 to $240,000 USD annually. Visa sponsorship is not available for this role.