Electronics Engineer – Drone Systems

Electronics Engineer – Drone Systems & Embedded Hardware

Full time Position - Auburn Hills, Michigan

Swarm Defense Technologies is a defense-focused division of Firefly, developing advanced unmanned aerial systems for national security, testing, and emerging mission applications. While our current focus includes targets and training platforms, our long-term vision extends toward fully integrated, mission-capable drone systems designed for real-world operational environments.

We design and manufacture our hardware in-house at our Auburn Hills facility, from PCB layout through final system integration. Our engineering team works closely across disciplines to rapidly build, test, and iterate real hardware that flies.

We are seeking an Electronics Engineer to own the design, layout, and integration of electronic systems used across our drone platforms. This role will be responsible for developing core flight electronics—including PX4-based flight controllers, ESCs, onboard sensors, and peripheral interfaces—and ensuring they integrate cleanly into mechanical designs and manufacturing workflows.

This is a hands-on role for someone who wants to design real boards, bring them to life, and see them fly—not just simulate them.

• Design and layout PCB assemblies for drone systems, including flight controllers, ESCs, radios, and sensor boards
• Integrate IMUs, GPS, magnetometers, radios, payload interfaces, and other peripherals
• Apply Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Test (DFT) principles for in-house production
• Work closely with mechanical engineers to ensure electronics fit cleanly within airframes and enclosures
• Support board bring-up, debugging, and validation of new hardware
• Collaborate with firmware and flight test teams to resolve hardware–software integration issues
• Maintain schematics, PCB layouts, BOMs, and basic production documentation

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical or Electronics Engineering, or equivalent hands-on experience
• Strong experience designing and laying out PCBs (Altium, KiCad, or similar)
• Experience with embedded electronics for robotics, aerospace, or UAV systems
• Understanding of power systems, motor control, signal integrity, and EMI considerations
• Comfortable debugging hardware using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and other lab tools
• Ability to design electronics with manufacturability, reliability, and repeatability in mind
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, build-and-test environment

• Experience with PX4, Ardu Pilot, or similar open-source flight stacks
• Familiarity with STM
  32 or similar microcontroller families
• Exposure to aerospace or defense electronics requirements
• Experience supporting low-volume production and scaling hardware designs
• Relocation Assistance:
  We offer financial support to help with your move, ensuring a smooth transition as you join our team.
• Comprehensive
  
  Health Benefits:
  
  We cover 100% of health insurance premiums for our employees.
• Retirement Plan:
  We offer a Simple IRA with employer contributions to help you plan for your future

Swarm Defense Technologies is a hardware-first engineering environment. Electronics are designed, assembled, tested, and flown under one roof. Engineers are expected to take ownership of their designs end-to-end—from schematic to PCB to flight test—and to work closely with mechanical, firmware, and manufacturing teams to continuously improve our systems.