Hardware Engineer II

AeroVironment • San Diego, CA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Hardware Engineer II to join our team at AV in San Diego. This role will have two areas of focus, the first is being lead for all repairs, warranty, service, and upgrade hardware activities. More specifically it is to handle returned hardware (e.g. under RMA, warranty, or defect management processes), diagnose, troubleshooting, repair and test units to ensure they meet quality and performance standards. In addition to repair work, you will also support forward looking manufacturing readiness (MRL) and technology readiness (TRL) improvements by helping to design and develop new components and/or manufacturing techniques to improve efficiency and overall quality. This role supports the engineering organization and helps maintain throughput in our repair pipeline and helps drive continuous improvement to existing hardware designs and assembly processes. The specialist will work closely with mechanical, electrical, and systems engineers, and must have strong capabilities in debugging, system optimization, and experience working with advanced electronics and hardened computing systems. More specifically, you will be asked to develop the repair strategy and lead a repair plan execution, mentor junior technicians, own related team KPIs, and interface with engineers to drive continuous improvement of the system (TRL, MRL) and overall repair processes. You will need to be comfortable working through ambiguity and change and also be intellectually curious regarding hardware and electronics assembly and manufacturing.

Requirements

• Associate’s degree (or equivalent trade school training) in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics Engineering, Mechatronics, or equivalent technical discipline (or strong equivalent hands-on experience).
• At least 5–7 years of experience in hardware repair, technical debugging, or defect analysis in an electronics / systems environment.
• Strong mechanical aptitude; proficient with hand tools associated with electronics unit assembly and repair.
• Strong electronics troubleshooting skills. (Proficient with the use of multimeters.)
• Experience with soldering and connector rework.
• Familiarity with system-level and functional testing.
• Experience reading schematics, block diagrams, mechanical drawings, and understanding system integration.
• Ability to isolate mechanical, electrical, and firmware faults, and correlate symptoms to root cause.
• Excellent hands-on skills, attention to detail, and methodical approach to debugging.
• Strong documentation, communication, and general computer skills.
• Ability to work closely with engineering staff, accept direction, and follow test procedures and change control.
• Ability to manage multiple repair tasks concurrently and meet throughput goals.
• Commitment to quality, safety, and process discipline (e.g. ESD protocols, clean environment).

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics Engineering, Mechatronics, or equivalent technical discipline (or strong equivalent hands-on experience).
• Experience with the assembly and repair of ruggedized / hardened computer systems (e.g., MILSTD, vibration, EMC, harsh environment electronics).
• Experience with failure analysis tools (microscope, thermal imaging).
• Experience with mechanical repair or alignment (e.g. micromechanics, precision assemblies).
• Experience debugging electronics systems.
• Familiarity with version control, defect tracking systems, and repair databases.
• Prior exposure to manufacturing test, acceptance test, or field-return programs.
• Certification(s) such as IPC soldering, IPC rework, or other electronics repair credentials.
• Prior work in aerospace, medical, defense, or rugged electronics industries.

Responsibilities

• Receive, log, and triage incoming hardware returns, defective units, and upgrade requests.
• Perform detailed diagnostics and troubleshooting to isolate faulty subsystems or components (mechanical, electrical, firmware, connectivity, etc.).
• Repair assemblies, connectors, cables, sensors, mechanical subassemblies, etc.
• Support production team by performing firmware updates, calibration, alignment, burn-in, and validation testing after repair.
• Collaborate with engineering (mechanical, electrical, systems) to obtain schematics, test procedures, engineering change notices (ECNs), and tolerances.
• Implement corrective modifications or retrofits as directed (e.g. engineering change orders).
• Refurbish, rework, or upgrade units per specification or customer request.
• Document repair steps, root causes, and lessons learned; maintain repair logs and databases.
• Provide input to failure analysis and continuous improvement programs.
• Ensure all repairs adhere to quality, safety, and regulatory requirements (e.g. ESD control, cleanroom, certification, internal standards).
• Maintain spare parts, consumables, and tooling inventory relevant to repair operations.
• Suggest process optimizations, tooling improvements, and test fixture enhancements.
• Occasionally assist engineering with prototype debug, mechanical modifications, or system-level integration tasks as needed.

Benefits

• AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental vision, 401K with company matching, a 9/80 work schedule and a paid holiday shutdown.
• For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit: http://www.avinc.com/myavbenefits.
• We also encourage you to review our company website at http://www.avinc.com to learn more about us.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree