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Airbound is building revolutionary autonomous delivery aircraft with a mission to make goods move as freely as information. The company is fundamentally rethinking drone delivery economics—targeting a cost reduction from ₹100/km to 10 paise/km through innovative aircraft design and engineering. Their dual-motor thrust-vectored tailsitter with blended wing body design achieves industry-leading payload-to-weight ratios and must operate autonomously in challenging weather conditions at scale (1000s of flights daily).
In this critical hands-on role, you will architect and deliver the complete avionics hardware stack powering this revolutionary aircraft. You own the entire hardware lifecycle from system architecture through EMI/EMC-compliant PCB design to vendor management and high-volume manufacturing with EMS partners.
Key responsibilities include:
- Defining and evolving the complete avionics architecture for the dual-motor thrust-vectored tailsitter
- Designing robust power management and distribution systems (DC-DC converters, battery management, motor controllers, protection circuits)
- Developing RF subsystems for telemetry, command & control, and positioning with regulatory compliance
- Creating production-ready PCBs with rigorous EMI/EMC design practices
- Leading hardware productization from prototype to high-volume manufacturing
- Cross-functional collaboration with firmware, flight controls, and mechanical teams; mentoring junior engineers; establishing hardware development processes
The role is based in Hoskote, Bangalore (headquarters), in-office with alternate Saturdays. Benefits include comprehensive health insurance, relocation assistance, and daily travel stipend.
REQUIREMENTS:
Must-Have:
- 5+ years in hardware/avionics engineering with proven track record in complex embedded systems (aerospace, robotics, automotive, or high-reliability applications); demonstrated experience scaling custom hardware from prototype to volume production (1000+ units)
- Expert-level PCB design proficiency (Altium Designer, KiCAD, or Cadence Allegro); strong understanding of high-speed digital design, mixed-signal layouts, multi-layer stackup design, and DFM principles
- Power electronics expertise: hands-on experience designing switch-mode power supplies, linear regulators, battery management systems, motor control circuits; understanding of magnetics design, thermal management, efficiency optimization; proficiency with power simulation tools (LTspice, PLECS, or similar)
- Embedded systems & integration: experience interfacing with microcontrollers and embedded Linux via I2C, SPI, UART, CAN, USB, Ethernet; knowledge of sensor integration (IMUs, GPS, barometers, cameras) and actuation systems; familiarity with embedded firmware development for hardware bring-up and validation
- EMI/EMC & compliance: practical knowledge of EMI/EMC design principles and testing; experience with MIL-STD-461, IEC 61000 series, FCC Part 15, DO-160; understanding of shielding, filtering, grounding, RF containment
- RF systems (basic to intermediate): experience with RF communication systems (LoRa, LTE, 2.4/5.8 GHz ISM bands, GPS/GNSS); understanding of antenna theory, impedance matching, S-parameters; proficiency with RF measurement equipment (VNA, spectrum analyzer, signal generator)
- Manufacturing & production: proven experience managing EMS vendors and contract manufacturers; strong knowledge of PCB fabrication, assembly techniques (SMT, through-hole, conformal coating), quality control; experience with DFT, bring-up procedures, production test automation; understanding of supply chain management, component sourcing, cost optimization
- Engineering fundamentals: strong analytical and problem-solving skills with hands-on debugging; proficiency with lab equipment (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, multimeters, power analyzers, thermal cameras); mastery of Git workflows for hardware version control; excellent documentation and cross-team communication skills
Good-to-Have:
- FPGA/CPLD design experience for high-speed interfaces or custom signal processing
- DO-254 processes knowledge for airborne electronic hardware certification
- Familiarity with environmental testing standards (vibration, shock, thermal cycling, altitude, humidity) and aerospace qualification processes
- Motor controller design and field-oriented control (FOC) implementation experience
- Hands-on EMI/EMC testing in certified labs and design iteration based on results
- Wireless charging, inductive power transfer, or high-power density converter background
- Safety-critical systems design and failure mode analysis (FMEA, DFMEA) experience
