Designs and develops digital hardware for secure communication systems used in airborne and naval defense applications. Responsibilities include hardware architecture, circuit and schematic design, component selection, board layout oversight, prototype development, testing, debugging, failure analysis, production test support, documentation, and software/firmware integration. The role also mentors junior engineers, participates in design reviews, prepares bills of materials and cost estimates, and supports compliance with aerospace and defense standards.
Principal Hardware Engineer
Department: Engineering
Reports to Title: VP of Engineering and Quality
Palomar Products
Palomar Products is a wholly owned subsidiary of TransDigm Group specializing in secure communication. Founded in 1970 and located in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, Palomar Products is a global leader in highly reliable secure intercommunication systems for airborne and naval military applications. This includes switching and crew-position units for airborne, shipboard, unmanned, and ground applications for multi-mission platforms. Our systems operate in over 250 unique aircrafts and 9 classes of naval warships around the globe.
Job Summary
Palomar is looking for a talented and highly motivated Principle Hardware Engineer to join the Hardware Development team and help develop electronic boards incorporated into current and future generations of our Secure Communication System (SCS). The ideal candidate will be motivated, talented and will have experience with hardware development projects in the defense and aerospace industry, working from requirements through component selection, schematic design, layout design, lab tests and software integration.
Primary Responsibilities
- Drive product hardware architecture and help define firmware and software architectures
- Design circuits at the schematic level and select components based on given requirements
- Oversee board layout development, inspect final layout before production
- Utilize development boards and COTS evaluation boards to prove out circuit designs for new technologies
- Test circuit boards to prove they function as expected, debug design errors as required and perform failure analysis on problem areas
- Build, test and modify product prototypes
- Assist in the development of production-level tests and support the product’s transition to production
- Document results of testing and failure analysis
- Create Bill of Materials (BOM) and assist in creating cost estimates for related activities
- Participate in product design reviews to provide input on functional requirements, product designs, schedules, or potential problems
- Mentor junior engineers in hardware development, debug analysis and problem solving
- Support firmware design engineers during development
- Work with firmware and software developers to test and integrate products
Qualifications
- Working knowledge of electrical engineering design activities with emphasis on digital systems. Familiarity with design verification, testing, and qualification of developed products
- Experience with Xilinx and MicroSemi FPGAs
- Experience with Micro-controllers and ARM processors
- Experience supporting firmware and software development and integration
- Experience with serial communication protocols such as: I2C, SPI, PCIe, T1, Ethernet, etc.
- Hands-on experience with hardware testing and debugging using test equipment such as oscilloscopes, spectrum/logic analyzers, power meters, etc.
- Strong analytical and problem solving abilities
- Strong interpersonal skills to enable working, interfacing and interrelating with diverse personnel and dynamic teams
- Motivated self-starter with excellent oral and written communication skills. Must be comfortable preparing and presenting data in front of peers and/or external customers
- Experience mentoring junior engineers
Desired Skills:
- Knowledge of engineering design process, tools, and techniques
- Experience with Audio systems, conferencing and distribution of audio data and Audio signal processing
- Familiarity with ISO 9000, AS9100, DO-178B, DO-254, MIL-STDs, and other applicable standards
Education and/or Work Experience:
- B.Sc. degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer engineering, or equivalent
- 20+ years of hardware development experience
Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. This job description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment.
Salary Range: $175,000 - $195,000
*Due to export control laws and government contract obligations, must be a US Citizen.*
Similar Jobs
Artificial Intelligence • Cloud • HR Tech • Information Technology • Productivity • Software • Automation
Set technical direction for ServiceNow HRSD’s agentic AI architecture, including orchestration, context assembly, tool use, autonomy boundaries, evaluation infrastructure, safety, observability, and production quality. Define standards for prompts, instructions, migrations, testing, and AI-assisted engineering. Partner across product, engineering, and design while contributing hands-on to complex integrations, prototypes, incidents, and systemic fixes. The role requires production LLM experience, access-controlled data handling, evaluation systems, and strong software engineering skills.
Top Skills:
Agent OrchestrationCi/CdJavaJavaScriptLlm ApisReactRelational DatabasesRetrieval-Augmented GenerationStructured OutputsTool CallingTypescript
Artificial Intelligence • Cloud • HR Tech • Information Technology • Productivity • Software • Automation
Design, build, deploy, and operate cloud-native platform services and Kubernetes workloads from conception through production. Lead technical projects, develop operators and controllers, improve reliability and observability, write tests and automation, participate in on-call, and collaborate with senior engineers on architecture. Mentor junior engineers through reviews, design feedback, and pairing. The role requires strong Go programming, Kubernetes expertise, hyperscaler experience, CI/CD, GitOps, and infrastructure-as-code knowledge.
Top Skills:
AWSAzureCi/CdCniContainersDashboardsGCPGitopsGoInfrastructure-As-CodeKubernetesKubernetes ControllersKubernetes OperatorsMetricsMtlsObservabilitySecrets ManagementService MeshTracingWorkload Identity
.jpeg)
Artificial Intelligence • Hardware • Information Technology • Machine Learning
Manage the IC controller category for SSD and storage products, including supplier portfolio performance, sourcing strategies, negotiations, cost reduction, supply risk management, RFPs, contracts, and capacity planning. Collaborate with engineering, quality, business units, legal, and executives to support product launches, production ramps, and long-term supply continuity. Conduct cost modeling and savings analysis while managing supplier agreements and category priorities. Requires up to 15% domestic travel.
Top Skills:
SiliconSsd
What you need to know about the San Francisco Tech Scene
San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area attracts more startup funding than any other region in the world. Home to Stanford University and UC Berkeley, leading VC firms and several of the world’s most valuable companies, the Bay Area is the place to go for anyone looking to make it big in the tech industry. That said, San Francisco has a lot to offer beyond technology thanks to a thriving art and music scene, excellent food and a short drive to several of the country’s most beautiful recreational areas.
Key Facts About San Francisco Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 365,500; 13.9% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Google, Apple, Salesforce, Meta
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, cloud computing, fintech, consumer technology, software
- Funding Landscape: $50.5 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners, Greylock Partners, Khosla Ventures, Kleiner Perkins
- Research Centers and Universities: Stanford University; University of California, Berkeley; University of San Francisco; Santa Clara University; Ames Research Center; Center for AI Safety; California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
