Zone 5 Technologies · 3 days ago
Director of Hardware
San Luis Obispo County, CA
Full-time
Hybrid
Director/Executive
$200K/yr - $270K/yr
12+ years expZone 5 Technologies is redefining what's possible in unmanned aircraft systems, seeking exceptional talent to join their innovative team. The Director of Hardware will lead Mechanical and Electrical Engineering functions, ensuring high-quality execution and strategic direction while collaborating closely with various teams to deliver integrated aerospace systems.
AerospaceManufacturingMechanical Engineering
Responsibilities
Lead, mentor, and develop Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Managers and their teams
Set the strategic vision and roadmap for hardware capabilities, tools, and processes across Zone 5
Ensure hardware engineering delivers robust architectures, detailed designs, and high-quality integration support on schedule
Partner with Programs and IPTs to allocate resources, drive execution discipline, and resolve cross-functional issues
Establish and maintain engineering standards for hardware design, analysis, review rigor, documentation, verification, and configuration control
Ensure compliance with applicable aerospace standards (AS9100, AS6500, DO-160, MIL-STD-461/704)
Oversee major design reviews and readiness events—PDR, CDR, TRR—ensuring hardware content meets technical and programmatic requirements
Identify and execute capability investments (equipment, software, training) needed for functional scalability
Guide root-cause investigations and ensure systemic corrective actions across hardware disciplines
Support proposal development by shaping hardware architectures, estimating labor, and defining execution approaches
Serve as the senior hardware engineering representative in portfolio, business area, and executive-level reviews
Qualification
Required
B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related discipline
12+ years of hardware engineering experience in aerospace, defense, autonomous systems, or equivalent
5+ years leading engineering managers or multi-disciplinary hardware teams
Demonstrated experience developing hardware architectures and scaling engineering processes
Strong understanding of DFMA, configuration control, integration workflows, and test readiness
Ability to lead in a fast-paced, high-accountability environment with multiple active programs
Preferred
Experience in UAS, missiles, loitering munitions, or complex electromechanical systems
Familiarity with Solidworks, Altium, MBSE environments (Cameo), EVM, and AS6500-aligned program execution
Experience collaborating with vertically integrated manufacturing operations
Benefits
Competitive total compensation package
Comprehensive benefit package options include medical, dental, vision, life, and more.
401k with company-match
4 weeks of paid time off each year
12 annual company holidays
Company
Zone 5 Technologies
Zone 5 Technologies is an aviation component manufacturing company that develops and tests unmanned aircraft systems.
201-500 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageTotal Funding
unknown2025-12-17Acquired
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