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Applied Intuition is a $15B-valued Silicon Valley company (founded 2017) powering physical AI for autonomous systems across automotive, defense, trucking, construction, mining, and agriculture. The company serves 18 of the top 20 global automakers and the US military, with offices globally including Sunnyvale HQ, Washington DC, San Diego, London, Stuttgart, Munich, Bangalore, Seoul, and Tokyo.
As Head of Drone Hardware, you will lead and scale the engineering organization responsible for all drone hardware products, from airframe and mechanical structures through full system integration. You own the hardware roadmap and technical strategy for drone and autonomy platforms, build and lead a multi-disciplinary team spanning Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Integration, and Test, and work hands-on through the full product lifecycle from concept and prototyping through flight test and high-volume production.
Key responsibilities include:
- Build, lead, and scale a multi-disciplinary hardware engineering organization
- Own technical roadmap and architecture for all drone hardware products
- Set technical direction on weight, strength, durability, power, and manufacturability tradeoffs
- Drive projects from 0-to-1 architecture through high-volume production
- Establish engineering department processes to meet customer deliverables on aggressive timelines
- Lead failure investigations and root cause analysis; turn lessons into design improvements
- Champion design for manufacturability, reliability, and field serviceability
- Hire, mentor, and grow engineering managers and individual contributors
- Work directly with external customers as a core responsibility
- Partner cross-functionally with autonomy, software, program management, and manufacturing leaders
Applied Intuition operates primarily in-office (5 days/week from Sunnyvale), with flexibility for occasional remote work and schedule accommodation.
REQUIREMENTS:
- BS, MS, or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Product Design, or related technical field
- 15+ years of hardware engineering experience with 10+ years leading and scaling engineering teams or departments
- Deep, hands-on background in mechanical engineering and product design, including structural design, enclosure design, thermal management, and environmental protection for ruggedized systems
- Experience driving hardware designs through full lifecycle (concept, prototyping, high-volume production) with demonstrated expertise in Design for Manufacturing (DFM/DFA)
- Experience in hardware test and validation methodologies, including environmental stress screening and field or flight testing
- Proven track record of building, leading, and scaling hardware engineering organizations from the ground up
- Experience working directly with customers to align technical requirements and drive delivery on committed timelines
NICE TO HAVE:
- Background in Electrical Engineering (PCB design, schematic capture, power distribution)
- Background in Aeronautical/Aerospace Engineering (aerodynamics, stability, propulsion integration)
- Direct leadership experience in drones, space, uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), or similar complex hardware
- Blend of consumer electronics experience combined with defense, automotive, trucking, construction, mining, or agriculture background
- Experience executing committed deliverables for defense programs or major enterprise customers
