Hiring Associate Director For Mechanical Product (UAV Company)

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Function:

Role Overview

We are seeking an exceptional engineering leader to head our Hardware Engineering division. The Director Hardware Engineering will be responsible for delivering high-quality, rugged, electro-mechanical hardware products for advanced drone platforms. You will lead a high-performing engineering team, drive product innovation, mature engineering processes, and ensure delivery excellence aligned with company goals.

Key Responsibilities

1. Product Delivery & Execution

• Lead end-to-end hardware product development to meet defined quality, budget, and timeline goals.
• Ensure rigorous execution and timely delivery of products that meet customer needs and regulatory standards.

2. Build & Scale Engineering Excellence

• Establish and grow a high-calibre engineering organization grounded in discipline, ownership, and continuous improvement.
• Foster a culture of empowerment, technical depth, accountability, and alignment with business objectives.

3. Drive Mature Engineering Practices

• Champion modern hardware development methodologies and tools.
• Guide architecture, design, prototyping, and testing processes for high-reliability systems.
• Continuously improve design standards, development workflows, and quality assurance systems.

4. Learning, Mentoring & Team Development

• Foster a learning-driven, growth-oriented culture.
• Coach and mentor senior engineers and technical leaders.
• Promote cross-functional learning and performance improvements through structured strategies.

Domain Expertise & Technology Focus

We seek a leader with strong grounding in rugged, compact electro-mechanical systems, especially in areas such as:

• Industrial robotics
• Multi-degree-of-freedom actuated and stabilized platforms (e.g., gimbals, camera tracking systems)
• Rugged, compact devices such as mobile/tablet-grade enclosures
• Electro-mechanical assemblies such as compact printers or actuated optics systems

Ideal Candidate Profile

Essential Qualifications & Experience

• Proven track record in leading hardware engineering functions at product companies—preferably from top institutions and/or globally reputed firms.
• Demonstrated success in delivering market-recognized, high-performance electro-mechanical products.
• Experience in cross-functional project leadership, integrating hardware with embedded systems and software.
• Deep understanding of design for reliability, manufacturability, maintainability, and user-centric hardware development.
• Strong grasp of modern engineering practices including defect management, testing, configuration & release management.
• Hands-on and technically credible leader, able to deep dive into problem-solving with engineers.
• Proven capability in building and leading high-performing, innovative engineering teams.
• Excellent communication skills; ability to work with business leaders, field teams, and customers.

Leadership Traits

• Strong sense of ownership, integrity, and alignment with the company’s values and mission.
• Passion for innovation, mentorship, and building products that create meaningful impact.
• Comfortable working in fast-paced, agile environments with a start-up mindset and structured delivery.