Head – Electronics Hardware (Defence & Avionics)

Experience: 10+ Years
Location: Gurugram
Department: Engineering / R&D
Reporting To: CEO / Head of R&D
Role Overview
We are looking for an experienced Electronics Hardware Lead/Head to lead the design, development, integration and qualification of electronics systems for defence and aerospace programmes.
The candidate will provide technical leadership to the electronics team, own major hardware architecture and design decisions, coordinate outsourced development and manufacturing vendors, and ensure delivery of reliable, qualification-ready hardware.
Projects include Tethered aerostat and radar platforms, Underwater Communication Systems, AUV systems, UAV/avionics platforms and surveillance systems.
Prior hands-on experience in defence electronics projects is mandatory.
Key Responsibilities
Technical Leadership & Team Management
● Lead and mentor the electronics hardware engineering team across multiple projects.
● Define electronics architecture, system requirements, board-level specifications and hardware interfaces.
● Allocate engineering activities, review technical progress and ensure milestones are achieved.
● Conduct schematic, PCB, design, PDR/CDR and test-readiness reviews.
● Coordinate electronics activities with mechanical, firmware, software, RF and systems teams.
● Identify technical risks and drive engineering decisions and corrective actions.
Electronics Design & Analysis
● Lead/review analog, digital, mixed-signal, embedded and power electronics designs.
● Review component selection, schematics, multilayer PCB layout, grounding, shielding and power distribution.
● Ensure designs meet requirements for signal integrity, power integrity, thermal performance, EMI/EMC and reliability.
● Perform/review circuit simulation, power budgeting, component derating, tolerance analysis and design calculations.
● Support board bring-up, debugging, root-cause analysis and system integration.
● Design/review interfaces including RS-422/485, CAN, Ethernet, SPI, I2C, UART, MIL-STD-1553 and ARINC 429, as applicable.
Vendor & Outsourcing Management
● Coordinate outsourced electronics design, PCB fabrication, assembly, testing and manufacturing activities.
● Prepare technical specifications/SOWs and review vendor designs and deliverables.
● Coordinate with EMS partners, PCB manufacturers, component suppliers and test laboratories.
● Monitor vendor quality, technical performance, timelines and prototype deliveries.
● Lead DFM/DFT reviews and transfer qualified designs into production.
Qualification & Certification
● Lead environmental, EMI/EMC, reliability and hardware qualification activities.
● Experience with applicable standards such as MIL-STD-810, MIL-STD-461, MIL-STD-704, JSS 55555 and RTCA DO-160.
● Prepare/review qualification plans, ATP/QTP, test procedures, compliance matrices and test reports.
● Coordinate with certification, inspection and quality agencies such as CEMILAC, DGAQA and customer QA teams, where applicable.
● Conduct/review FMEA/FMECA, MTBF, derating and failure/root-cause analysis.
Integration, Trials & Production
● Lead hardware integration into LRUs, enclosures, airborne, ground and underwater platforms.
● Support field trials, customer demonstrations, acceptance testing and issue resolution.
● Maintain technical documentation including specifications, ICDs, BOMs, test procedures and configuration records.
● Support technical proposals, RFP responses, feasibility studies and cost estimates.
Mandatory Qualification & Experience
● B.E./B.Tech in Electronics, Electronics & Communication, Electrical, Instrumentation or related discipline. M.Tech preferred.
● 10+ years of electronics hardware design and development experience.
● Minimum 3 years in a technical/team leadership role.
● Previous hands-on experience on defence projects is mandatory.
● Strong electronics design and analytical skills covering analog, digital, mixed-signal and power electronics.
● Experience taking hardware from requirements through design, prototype, integration, qualification and production.
● Prior experience with hardware qualification/certification or formal defence acceptance testing is mandatory.
● Experience managing external design/manufacturing vendors and outsourced engineering activities.
● Strong PCB design/review experience using Altium, OrCAD, KiCad or equivalent tools.
● Hands-on debugging experience using oscilloscopes, spectrum analysers, logic analysers, electronic loads and laboratory instruments.
● Good knowledge of EMI/EMC, grounding, shielding, thermal management and ruggedised electronics.
Preferred Experience
● Experience working with DRDO, HAL, BEL, DPSUs, Indian Armed Forces or defence OEMs.
● Exposure to aerostat, radar, UAV avionics, surveillance, acoustic sensing or underwater electronics.
● FPGA/SoC hardware, high-speed digital design or RF/data-link interface experience.
● Understanding of DO-254, defence quality processes, configuration management and production qualification.
Leadership Competencies
● Strong technical judgement and design-review capability.
● Ability to lead multidisciplinary engineering teams and manage multiple projects.
● Strong vendor coordination and negotiation skills.
● Excellent problem-solving, planning and documentation discipline.
● Ability to interact confidently with customers, certification agencies and defence partners.
● Willingness to travel for integration, qualification and field trials.
Critical Selection Criteria: Defence project experience, strong hands-on electronics design capability, team leadership, vendor management and prior qualification/certification experience are mandatory.

Work arrangement
No