Senior Electrical Engineer

FlightWave Aerospace - A Red Cat Company · Torrance, CA · 1 wk ago

Engineering$132k–$180k/yrFull-time

About the role

FlightWave, a wholly owned subsidiary of Red Cat Holdings, is seeking an Electrical Engineer to join our team. We are a dynamic and growing drone technology company focused on manufacturing UAS platforms for defense, public safety, and other government security organizations. We’re hiring electrical engineers to design, build, and validate robust eVTOL drones for the next-generation of short- and medium-range reconnaissance.

Responsibilities

Own schematics, layout, bring-up, and verification of projects.
Design, simulate, and debug RF front ends (e.g., 0.9–6 GHz radios, filters, LNAs/PAs, antennas, matching networks).
Architect regulated power trees; perform PI analysis (DC drop, impedance targets, ripple, transient response).
Implement BLDC/PMSM motor control (FOC, trapezoidal, sensored/sensorless) on MCUs; tune current/velocity/position loops.
Develop embedded C/C++ firmware for real-time control, drivers, and diagnostics; integrate with higher-level systems.
Drive PCB layout for SI/PI/RF constraints: stackup, return paths, stitching vias, diff-pair routing, creepage/clearance.
Plan and execute test campaigns: DVT/EMI/EMC/ESD/thermal; use lab gear (VNA, spectrum analyzer, DSO, power analyzer).
Design and validate Battery Management Systems (BMS): cell balancing, protection and safety (OV/UV, OC/OT), SoC/SoH estimation, coulomb counting, pack telemetry, contactor/relay control, charging profiles, and thermal management.
Write clear documentation: design notes, test reports, and manufacturing/bring-up procedures.
Collaborate cross-functionally with mechanical, firmware, and manufacturing on design trade-offs, reliability, and producibility.

Requirements

BS/MS/PhD in Electrical Engineering or related field.
Minimum 5-7 years of professional experience in a device-oriented electrical engineering role.
Solid foundation in at least one of the following: RF, BMS, PCB layout, power/PI, embedded systems, mixed-signal, or motor control.
Comfortable with test equipment like multimeters, oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, and vector network analyzers.
Proficiency with at least one of: Altium (schematic/layout), MATLAB/Python for analysis, or SPICE/EM/PI tools.
Ability to own features end-to-end and communicate technical decisions clearly.

Skills

RF: Antenna design/tuning, over-the-air testing, MIMO, coexistence, link budgets, regulatory (FCC/ETSI).
Power/PI: Buck/boost/PFC, gate-drive design, magnetics selection, thermal design, battery systems, pre-compliance EMI fixes.
Layout: High-speed SerDes/USB/MIPI, controlled impedance, length matching, HDI, DFM/DFT for volume builds.
Embedded: RTOS, bootloaders, motor-control libraries (CMSIS-DSP, ST/Xilinx/TI).
Controls: System identification, FOC tuning, observers, Kalman/PLL techniques, torque/position control.
Compliance & reliability: HALT/HASS, DO-160/IEC/UL standards, environmental sealing, conformal coat, potting.
Domain: Robotics, drones/UAVs, electromechanical actuation, or autonomy stacks.

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

Ability to lift and carry up to 25 pounds.
Ability to stand, walk, and move between lab, office, and manufacturing environments for extended periods.
Manual dexterity for handling tools, components, and test equipment.
Visual and hearing ability to safely conduct and monitor test procedures.
Ability to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when required.
Comfortable working in environments that may involve vibration, noise, temperature variations, or other test-related conditions.

This position will require successfully completing a post-offer background check. Qualified candidates with a criminal history will be considered and are not automatically disqualified, consistent with federal and state law. This position requires direct or indirect access to hardware, software, technology or technical data controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Successful candidates must provide proof of U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Residence and must not require sponsorship for export-restricted work authorization.

Pay

$132k – $180k, plus generous annual equity package and potential bonuses.