Senior Electrical Engineer, Drone
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Nov 9, 2026. First seen by Alion on Nov 9, 2026. Applied Intuition scores B on the Alion truth index.
Applied Intuition, Inc. is powering the future of physical AI. Founded in 2017 and now valued at $15 billion, the Silicon Valley company is creating the digital infrastructure needed to bring intelligence to every moving machine on the planet. Applied Intuition services the automotive, defense, trucking, construction, mining and agriculture industries in three core areas: tools and infrastructure, operating systems, and autonomy. Eighteen of the top 20 global automakers, as well as the United States military and its allies, trust the company’s solutions to deliver physical intelligence. Applied Intuition is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with offices in Washington, D.C.; San Diego; Ft. Walton Beach, Florida; Ann Arbor, Michigan; London; Stuttgart; Munich; Stockholm; Bangalore; Seoul; and Tokyo. Learn more at applied.co.
We are an in-office company, and our expectation is that full-time employees primarily work from their Applied Intuition office 5 days a week. However, we also recognize the importance of flexibility and trust our employees to manage their schedules responsibly. This may include occasional remote work, starting the day with morning meetings from home before heading to the office, or leaving earlier when needed to accommodate family commitments. This in-office expectation does not apply to contractor positions
About the Role
As an Electrical Engineer on our drone program, you will design the power systems that keep our aircraft in the air: battery packs, high-voltage distribution, and power conversion from the battery through propulsion and avionics. You’ll be part of the full product design lifecycle, from concept and prototype through flight test and production, and your work will directly shape the flight time, performance, and safety of our uncrewed aircraft.
At Applied Intuition, you will:
Own the power system architecture and electrical requirements across both HV and LV domains, translating mission and duty-cycle profiles (long-term storage, extended unattended standby, high-power operational phases, multiple charge/discharge cycles) into energy, power, thermal and interface budgets.
Lead HV domain design: battery pack and BMS integration, HV PDU/BDU (contactors, precharge, fusing, isolation monitoring), bidirectional on-board charger / AC export inverter, HV→28 V DC-DC converters, HV harness and connectors, and short-circuit and fuse coordination.
Own the HV safety architecture: HVIL, E-stop, isolation monitoring, manual service disconnect, active discharge and lockout/tagout procedures; lead hazard analysis (HARA, FMEA/FMEDA) for the power system.
Lead LV domain design: Backup battery, PDU and the always-on power management controller that orchestrates all power-state transitions, with tight quiescent-current budgets for long unattended standby.
Define the CAN/J1939 network architecture, message databases, fault handling and state machines across BMS, PDU, converters, charger and the system management computer.
Lead supplier engagement: RFI/RFQ, technical evaluation, source selection, and management of suppliers from prototype samples through production.
Collaborate with mechanical engineering on thermal management and packaging, with electrical engineering on interfaces to powered subsystems, and with software/firmware on controls and diagnostics.
Produce and maintain design documentation: block diagrams, ICDs, schematics, harness drawings, requirement compliance matrices and design review packages.
We’re looking for someone who has:
BS, MS, or PhD in Electrical Engineering or a related field (power electronics, energy systems)
At least 5 years of hands-on experience designing and integrating high-voltage (400-800 V) battery and power systems for EVs, commercial/off-highway vehicles, energy storage or defense platforms.
Direct experience with battery pack and BMS integration, HV distribution (contactors, precharge, fusing, IMD) and HV safety (HVIL, isolation, service disconnect).
Working knowledge of power conversion (DC-DC converters, inverters, bidirectional on-board chargers) and the ability to specify, evaluate and integrate COTS power electronics.
Experience with 12/24/28 V vehicle power distribution, power-state management, low-quiescent always-on design and CAN/J1939 networks.
Familiarity with MIL-STD-810, MIL-STD-461 and MIL-STD-1275, and with battery standards (UN 38.3, UL 1973, UL 9540A); ISO 26262 functional safety is a plus.
Proficient in schematic capture, harness design tools and system-level analysis (energy and thermal budgets in MATLAB/Simulink or Python).
Skilled in HV lab safety and test equipment: HV power supplies, battery cyclers/emulators, insulation testers, oscilloscopes with HV differential probes and CAN tools (e.g., Vector CANoe, PCAN).
Track record of managing suppliers and taking a system from concept through qualification and production.
Open-minded and collaborative team player, eager to assist others.
Excellent technical writing skills for clear communication and documentation.
Security Requirement:
U.S. citizenship or US Green card holder required
Don’t meet every single requirement? If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.
Applied Intuition is an equal opportunity employer and federal contractor or subcontractor. Consequently, the parties agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-1.4(a), 41 CFR 60-300.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and that these laws are incorporated herein by reference. These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities, and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin. These regulations require that covered prime contractors and subcontractors take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status or disability. The parties also agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of Executive Order 13496 (29 CFR Part 471, Appendix A to Subpart A), relating to the notice of employee rights under federal labor laws.
FOR US-BASED ROLES:Applied Intuition is committed to providing an accessible and inclusive application and interview experience to applicants who are disabled veterans and other applicants with disabilities or medical conditions. Reasonable accommodations are available, requesting an accommodation will not affect your candidacy in any way, and you are not required to disclose the nature of your disability or medical condition in order to make a request. If you require an accommodation please contact [email protected]. We will work with you!