Principal Systems Architect, Communications Hardware (Remote Eligible | Relocation Assistance Available)

Role overview

This is a senior, founding-level position within a hardware team building next-generation emergency response technology for public safety agencies. The Principal Systems Architect will own end-to-end system architecture across electrical, RF, mechanical, thermal, and power domains for mission-critical connected devices. The role combines deep technical leadership with cross-functional coordination to take complex, battery-powered hardware from concept through mass production and regulatory certification.

Responsibilities

- Define system architecture, block diagrams, and interaction models that span electrical, RF, mechanical, industrial design, software, and product management concerns. - Analyze power, thermal, and computational budget constraints and develop balanced solutions across performance, size, and cost. - Author and maintain traceable system requirements through verification and validation, and review product requirements for next-generation devices. - Lead cross-discipline design reviews, resolve competing engineering constraints, and provide technical direction to electrical, RF, and mechanical engineering leads. - Own the system-level verification and validation strategy, perform risk analysis, and translate complex engineering tradeoffs into clear decisions for program and executive leadership. - Partner with ODM/JDM and manufacturing teams on DFM/DFA, engineering builds, production readiness, and certification across U.S. and international regulatory standards.

Requirements

- 10+ years of hardware engineering experience with deep expertise in at least two of electrical, RF, or mechanical engineering and strong working knowledge of the third. - Proven track record owning system architecture and cross-disciplinary technical decisions for complex, integrated hardware. - Experience taking compact, connected, battery-powered hardware from concept through mass production, including EVT/DVT/PVT, certification, and manufacturing ramp. - Deep knowledge of RF/antenna integration, power architecture, thermal management, EMI/EMC, shielding, enclosure design, and mechanical tolerances. - Experience developing system requirements and validation plans with familiarity across U.S. and international hardware certification requirements. - Experience working with ODM/JDM or contract manufacturing partners, plus proficiency with tools such as Altium/Cadence, SolidWorks/Creo/NX, RF and electrical test equipment, thermal characterization tools, and PLM/BOM or requirements-management systems.

Benefits and work setup

- Remote-eligible with relocation assistance available. - Founding-level leadership opportunity shaping the technical standards, architecture, and engineering processes of a new hardware organization. - Some roles may require legal eligibility to work in a firearms environment.