# Director of Hardware

**Company:** [Skyways](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/skyways)
**Location:** Austin, TX
**Role:** Hardware Engineering
**Skills:** Avionics, Aircraft Systems, Electromechanical Systems, Uavs, Design Reviews, Trade Studies, System Integration, Hardware Manufacturing, Reliability Engineering, Aircraft Certification
**Posted:** 2026-01-27

> Leads hardware engineering for aircraft systems from design through production, testing, and field reliability. Oversees structures, avionics, power, and integration while managing team and technical decisions in fast-paced environment.

## Job Description

## What You'll Do
- Own aircraft hardware execution across structures, avionics, power, and system integration.
- Lead and grow the hardware engineering team with a strong emphasis on quality, accountability, and velocity.
- Make and drive critical technical decisions through design reviews, trade studies, and system integration.
- Take hardware from prototype to production with a focus on manufacturability and reliability.
- Partner closely with manufacturing, supply chain, and flight test to close the loop between design, production, and operations.
- Establish hardware standards, documentation, and test practices that scale with the fleet.
- Support certification, compliance, and customer driven requirements as programs mature.

## What You'll Bring
- Proven experience shipping complex hardware systems into production.
- Experience leading hardware teams while staying close to design and integration work.
- Strong background in avionics, aircraft systems, or tightly integrated electromechanical platforms.
- Experience with UAVs, aircraft certification environments, or defense programs.
- A track record of building hardware that performs in real operational environments.
- Comfort operating in fast moving teams with real schedule, cost, and mission constraints.
- Willingness to be on the floor, at the flight line, and in the loop when things break.

## Bonus Points
- Experience scaling hardware from early production to higher volume.
- Startup experience building teams, processes, and systems from the ground up.

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