WORK ARRANGEMENT:

Onsite by default. Up to 2 days remote per week after the first 6 months, subject to controlled-data handling constraints and lab access. Full onsite presence during bring-up, qualification, and flight-test campaigns.

SECURITY REQUIREMENT:

Must be eligible for security assessment under the Controlled Goods Program (CGP).

THE ROLE This role defines the hardware roadmap and avionics architecture for SkyCan's autonomous UAV platforms, spanning flight control electronics, power, sensors, payload electronics, and datalink. You will lead, hire, and mentor PCB, RF, and lab technician staff as the division scales, own the electronics bill of materials and component strategy, and establish hardware design assurance and environmental qualification practices.

You will direct hardware development from concept through mass production, including Design for Manufacturing, Design for Test, DVT/PVT campaigns, and production test strategy, coordinating with the other R&D; heads on integration, requirements, and production handoff.

WHAT YOU'LL OWN System architecture: Define the hardware roadmap and avionics architecture for autonomous UAV platforms — flight control electronics, power, sensors, payload electronics, and datalink. The roadmap must accommodate multiple propulsion architectures across programs (combustion on some platforms, electric on others), not a single company-wide standard.

Team leadership: Lead, hire, and mentor PCB, RF, and lab technician staff as the division scales. Run design reviews, own the hardware program schedule, and coordinate with the other R&D; heads — Software & Perception, Airframe & Mechanical, V&V;/Airworthiness and Safety, Systems, Manufacturing, and IT — on integration, requirements, and production handoff.





BOM and component strategy: Own the electronics bill of materials and component selection, including supplier qualification, second-sourcing, obsolescence management, and support of SkyCan's domestic content targets and export-control-conscious sourcing.

Safety and compliance: Establish hardware design assurance practices modelled after DO-254. Plan environmental and EMI qualification to MIL-STD-810 and MIL-STD-461 methods.

Lifecycle management: Direct hardware development from concept through mass production — Design for Manufacturing, Design for Test, DVT/PVT campaigns, and production test strategy.

WHAT YOU BRING — TECHNICAL Note: bracketed proficiency levels indicate the depth expected in each area. Items marked Asset are not required.

Digital electronics

( EXPERT ): MCU-based design (STM32 or similar), high-speed digital design, and companion-computer integration.

PCB design and layout

( EXPERT ): Multi-layer stack-up, signal integrity, controlled impedance routing, and EMI/EMC-aware layout per IPC-2221.

Analog electronics ( DEEP ): Precision analog signal conditioning (sensor front-ends, ADC/DAC interfaces), low-noise amplifier design, filtering for IMU/GNSS analog chains, mixed-signal layout, and noise isolation.

Avionics, sensors and payloads

( DEEP ):



IMU/GNSS/LiDAR nav-sensor integration and design and customization of mission payload electronics. Fluency in I2C, SPI, UART, CAN, RS-485, RS-232, and Ethernet.

Power distribution and electrical systems

( DEEP ): High-current distribution, thermal management of power stages, and energy budgeting against endurance and range targets across multiple propulsion architectures — battery-electric (BMS, pack architecture and safety, power distribution boards, ESCs for BLDC motors) on some programs, combustion-based power generation and distribution on others.

Environmental and reliability engineering

( DEEP ): Design for thermal, vibration, shock, ingress, and EMI protection; EMI hardening and shielding; reliability prediction and derating; qualification test planning to MIL-STD-810 and MIL-STD-461.

Design assurance and verification

( PROFICIENT ): Practical experience establishing and applying hardware design assurance modelled after DO-254 — design assurance levels, verification independence, and traceability. Formal DO-254 training or certification is not required.

RF and datalink integration

( PROFICIENT ): Integration and oversight of secure/encrypted C2 and video transmission links (link protocol and message handling sit with the Software division). Link budget literacy, antenna placement, COTS radio/telemetry module integration (Wi-Fi, 4G/5G LTE, LoRa or equivalent), and architecture-level oversight of anti-jam and EW hardware considerations. Enough depth to specify requirements to and review the work of a dedicated RF specialist; hands-on RF front-end, antenna, and EW design is an asset, not a requirement.

Component engineering and sourcing

( PROFICIENT ): BOM owners

📌 Head of Hardware (Winnipeg)
🏢 SkyCan Systems
📍 Winnipeg