Staff Electrical Engineer

About Aventra

Aventra Defense Systems is a defense technology company developing and delivering autonomous aerial systems for the U.S. government and allied partners. We operate at the intersection of advanced hardware, software, and national security — designing, building, and fielding systems that perform in the world’s most demanding environments.

We are a mission-driven team moving at startup speed with defense-grade accountability. Our programs span contracted deliveries, government demonstrations, and ongoing system development — and our pace reflects the urgency of the problems we’re solving.

Position Overview & Key Responsibilities

Position Overview

Aventra Defense Systems is seeking a junior Electrical Engineer to support the broader electrical engineering team across Piranha subsystems — power distribution, sensor integration, wiring harnesses, and bench‑level testing. This is a hands‑on role for an engineer who wants broad exposure across the electrical stack rather than deep specialization in one subsystem, working alongside the team's senior/staff EEs on day‑to‑day design, build, and test tasks. Just imagine seeing your design flying in the stratosphere.

Key Responsibilities

Electrical Design & Support

• Turn product requirements documents into reality!
• Design, build, and test PCBs under the guidance of Senior electrical engineers across a variety of systems. Experience the joy of shipping an idea to the fab house and having it in your hands days later and flying in the air weeks later.
• Build and test prototype circuits. Solder components, use pick‑and‑place machines, oscilloscopes, VNAs, spectrum analyzers, thermal imaging, and environmental/temperature chambers to make sure your design works.
• Design wiring harnesses, select connectors, and route cables inside complex aircraft and other advanced platforms and capabilities.
• Design and implement tests across a variety of systems and environments.
• Learn to peer review other engineers' work.
• Conduct trade studies to understand the state of the art and industry best practices.
• Analyze and test RF links for throughput.

Integration & Test

• Support integration of electrical subsystems with mechanical and software teams.
• Assist with flight test instrumentation setup and post‑test data collection.
• Help maintain test equipment, fixtures, and lab organization.
• Test your design in the field and watch it fly!

Documentation & Process

• Maintain accurate schematics, BOMs, and design documentation
• Support design review processes and component sourcing research
• Assist with failure analysis on field returns under senior engineer direction

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, or related field
• 2-4 years of industry experience in electrical design, test, or integration
• Working knowledge of analog/digital circuit fundamentals and PCB design tools (Altium, KiCad, or equivalent)
• Comfortable in a hands‑on lab/bench environment
• US Citizen with ability to obtain and maintain security clearance

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in aerospace, defense, or other high‑reliability industries
• Exposure to embedded systems or sensor integration
• Startup or small‑company experience
• Familiarity with relevant military standards

$95,000 - $140,000 a year

Compensation Package

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience
• Generous health coverage for employee and family, premium fully covered
• 4% 401k match
• PTO and Sick Leave

Travel & Work Environment

Travel Requirements

• Travel up to 25% to customer sites and field test locations
• Ability to work in austere field conditions and military operational environments
• Flexibility to support urgent operational requirements and schedule changes

Work Environment

• In‑person role based in Herndon, VA
• Collaborative environment supporting critical national security missions
• Direct support to warfighter capabilities and mission success

Aventra Defense Systems, Inc is a venture‑backed startup building scalable, precision‑guided capabilities for the next generation of combat. We are assembling a team of engineers and operators who believe in speed, simplicity, and delivering real capability to the field—not just PowerPoint slides.