# Hardware Systems Lead, Drone at Applied Intuition

- Company: Applied Intuition
- What the company does: Applied Intuition powers physical AI, automating machines across automotive, defense, trucking, mining, construction, & agriculture. Backed by General Catalyst, Kleiner Perkins and a16z.
- Company website: https://www.appliedintuition.com/
- Type: Startups (AI role)
- Level: Senior
- Location: Sunnyvale
- Work setup: On-site
- Pay: $200K to $270K base salary per year (USD)
- Posted: 2026-10-16
- Apply by: 2026-11-30
- Apply: https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/Applied/abd1e4ff-345c-4bf6-9f46-901e0e35a633?utm_source=1752vc&utm_medium=careers
- Page: https://www.1752.vc/careers/jobs/applied-intuition-hardware-systems-lead-drone/

## About the role

As Hardware Systems Lead for our drone program, you will be the hands-on chief engineer for the hardware that carries our autonomy into the air. You will understand the full system, mechanical and electrical, and own the question that matters most in flight: will it survive, and will it keep working when the aircraft is hundreds of feet up? You will architect, build, test, and break hardware, then use what you learn to make it lighter, tougher, and more reliable. Found on 1752vc Careers, the job board for startup and VC roles.

## What they're looking for

- BS/MS in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics, or a related field
- 10+ years of hands-on hardware engineering experience on drones, UAS, or other aircraft
- Strong command of the whole hardware system: airframe and structures, electrical architecture, power distribution, harness design, avionics, and how they interact
- A track record of designing hardware to survive demanding environments, with real experience in vibration, shock, ingress protection, thermal management, and EMI/EMC
- Hands-on experience in the lab and in the field: building prototypes, wiring and debugging systems, running flight tests, and diagnosing failures and crashes
- Experience integrating sensors such as cameras, lidar, radar, and GNSS/IMU, along with compute and flight control hardware, onto airborne platforms

Tags: Hardware

Source: 1752vc Careers, https://www.1752.vc/careers/jobs/applied-intuition-hardware-systems-lead-drone/