Sr. Electrical Engineer

Description

* 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*

Established in 2021, Darkhive builds hardware and software solutions designed to seamlessly integrate into the military defense system. We offer tactical uncrewed systems, human-machine interfaces, and software continuous delivery platforms.

Darkhive is a company of U.S. Special Operations veterans, engineers, robotics perception experts, Dev Sec Ops , defense technology executives, and superb support staff—above all, we are a mission-first team. We believe that the U.S. and our allies around the world deserve high-quality, affordable tools that keep them safe when each second counts.

If you are a free-thinking problem solver who is looking for a highly collaborative and innovative environment, apply with Darkhive today!

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. This role is critical to the design, development, and productization of compute modules, RF systems, camera systems, and BLDC motor controllers.

You must be a Type-A personality who thrives in fast-paced environments, is self-managed, documents rigorously, and drives designs through manufacturing. This is not just a circuit designer role; you will help lead the entire electrical product lifecycle, including reviews, simulations, integration, and support through production.

This role is flexible and can be hybrid, onsite in San Antonio, or remote, depending on the candidate's profile. Our team operates at startup speed and you will be expected to contribute meaningfully to hardware that ships to customers on aggressive timelines.

• 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…