Sr. Electrical Engineer

Due to the nature of our work in defense, Darkhive does not provide visa sponsorship for this role. Candidates must be eligible to obtain and maintain a security clearance.

We are seeking a Senior Electrical Engineer with deep experience in embedded systems and product development to join our fast‑paced, high‑accountability team. This role goes beyond circuit board design – you will drive the architecture, integration, and validation of complex electronics in high performance compute modules, communications systems, and robotics products. You will lead the entire electrical product lifecycle from schematic capture to production release, contribute meaningfully to hardware that ships to customers on aggressive timelines, and work flexibly in hybrid or remote settings.

• Lead the electrical design of complex multi‑layer HDI PCBs, compute modules, and custom edge AI platforms.
• Perform detailed power delivery network (PDN) analysis, transient analysis, and high‑speed signal integrity simulation.
• Drive and manage design reviews (initial, intermediate, and final), documenting all design decisions and review outcomes in Confluence.
• Own the full product development lifecycle from schematic capture to production release.
• Select, validate, and integrate ICs, power systems, sensors, radios, and other components.
• Collaborate closely with mechanical engineers to ensure seamless integration into enclosures, thermals, shielding, and interconnects.
• Develop validation plans, bring‑up guides, and work with firmware/software teams during prototype and EVT/DVT phases.
• Work within KiCad as the primary ECAD tool;
  Altium experience is helpful but not required.
• Maintain clean revision control, documentation, and BOMs across development and production.
• Author thorough documentation in Confluence: schematics, reviews, test plans, bring‑up notes, etc.
• Interface directly with suppliers and fabrication/assembly partners on production readiness.
• Drive validation and bring‑up of new hardware platforms, working closely with firmware and test teams.
• Proactively manage project scope, priorities, and deliverables with minimal oversight.
• Serve as the primary electrical point of contact for external manufacturers and suppliers, supporting hardware bring‑up, first‑article builds, and sustaining engineering tasks.
• Develop per‑unit electrical test plans and oversee the design and validation of custom test fixtures for production environments, ensuring repeatable and scalable test coverage.
• Support customers through hands‑on electrical integration of our modules into their systems, including design reviews, bring‑up assistance, and technical validation to ensure successful adoption of development kits into production designs.
• Travel:
  Willingness to travel periodically throughout the year to support key product milestones and collaboration efforts.

• B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering or equivalent technical discipline.
• 6+ years experience in electrical product development, including shipping real products.
• Expert in KiCad (mandatory), with working knowledge of Altium or similar tools.
• Demonstrated experience with HDI board design, controlled impedance, microvias, blind/buried vias.
• Experience with PoP (package on package), DDR memory routing, and high‑speed interfaces (PCIe, USB 3, etc.).
• Strong skills in PDN, SI, and EMI analysis.
• Experience integrating PCBs into mechanical systems (e.g., stackups, grounding/shielding, mounting, thermal).
• Fluent in Confluence, Git, and structured engineering documentation practices.
• Proven track record of managing full product life cycles from concept to production.
• Strong DFM/DFT understanding and supplier/CM collaboration.
• Proficiency in power systems design, regulators, battery management, and protection circuits.
• Proficiency with soldering irons, hot air rework, multimeters, power supplies, and other common lab equipment.
• Comfortable with fine‑pitch rework, jumper wiring, and component replacement on dense PCB layouts.
• Ability to interpret schematics and translate debug results into actionable hardware changes.
• Fam…