Hardware Engineering Manager
LouisvilleOn-siteFull-time
AI Summary
Manages the hardware engineering team, leading hiring, mentoring, and resource allocation across vehicle and robotics programs while serving as a senior technical expert.
About this role
About Stratom
Stratom is a mission-driven engineering company developing autonomous and unmanned ground vehicles and robotic systems for demanding industrial and defense environments. Our teams design, build, and deploy advanced systems that combine rugged mechanical platforms with cutting-edge autonomy.
Our work spans the full lifecycle of complex systems, from early concept and prototyping through fielded deployment. With multiple working prototypes in hand, our next major opportunity is transitioning these platforms into production over the coming years to deliver capable systems at scale. We are looking for talented and engineers who want to take ownership of challenging engineering problems and play a key role in bringing multiple platforms into production.
Stratom is seeking a versatile individual to lead our Hardware Engineering Team. The Hardware Engineering Manager will work closely with Stratom’s technical leads, engineers, and customers across the DoD to successfully execute our vehicle development programs. You will work across programs, enabling our engineers to perform at a high level. As a growing R&D firm, each team member is asked to wear many hats and contribute to a wide variety of disciplines, so resourcefulness and adaptability are highly valued. A strong candidate will also have outstanding interpersonal skills and be ready to become a prominent leader within our team right away.
Key Responsibilities
· Manage staffing for the hardware engineering team, including staffing plans, hiring, and resource allocation across projects.
· Meet regularly with individuals to discuss performance and development and provide feedback and coaching. Mentor engineers and ensure their growth.
· Defines processes to ensure consistent, quality engineering.
· Ensures engineering processes are followed and development artifacts are produced.
· Understands the broad scope of development being performed by the mechanical engineering team across all relevant projects to avoid duplicated work and leverage complementary work.
· Supports projects as a domain technical expert by reviewing work and providing technical input as needed. Help solve ambiguous problems by providing guidance and direction.
· Supports bid and proposal efforts, especially for task scope and duration.
Skills, Knowledge & Expertise
Key Responsibilities
Engineering Leadership
- Lead, hire, mentor, and develop the hardware engineering team.
- Manage staffing, resource allocation, and engineering priorities across programs.
- Establish and maintain effective engineering processes, reviews, and documentation.
- Promote collaboration, reuse, and standardization across projects.
Technical Leadership
- Serve as a senior hardware engineering resource across vehicle and robotics programs.
- Review designs, analyses, drawings, requirements, test plans, and other technical deliverables.
- Guide engineers through complex or ambiguous technical challenges.
- Support mechanical, structural, hydraulic, manufacturing, electrical, and vehicle-system development.
- Support prototype development, testing, integration, and troubleshooting.
Program & Customer Support
- Work closely with program managers, technical leads, engineers, and DoD customers.
- Support requirements, planning, scheduling, risk management, and technical reviews.
- Support proposals through technical scope, staffing, schedule, and cost estimates.
- Travel to customer sites, test locations, and other facilities as needed.
Required Qualifications
- 10+ years of engineering, technical leadership, and/or program management experience.
- 3+ years leading, hiring, and developing high-performing engineering teams.
- Bachelor’s degree in a relevant Engineering field.
- Experience leading multidisciplinary engineering teams.
Required Technical Competencies
- Mechanical system design and development
- Ground vehicle, structural, hydraulic, and electro-mechanical systems
- CAD modeling, engineering drawings, GD&T, and tolerance analysis
- Prototype development, integration, testing, and troubleshooting
- Manufacturing processes, design for manufacturability, and production support
- Requirements development, technical reviews, and engineering documentation
- Cross-functional development with electrical, software, autonomy, and manufacturing teams
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with autonomous/unmanned ground vehicles or complex robotic systems.
- Familiarity with ISO 9001:2015.
- Advanced degree in Engineering, Business, or related field.
- Military officer or equivalent leadership experience.
- Demonstrated ability to build collaborative, high-performing teams.
Additional Requirements
- This position requires access to information subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Candidates selected for this position must meet applicable eligibility requirements for access to export-restricted information. Under ITAR/EAR regulations, a U.S. person is generally defined as a U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident (Green Card holder), political asylee, or refugee.
- Must maintain eligibility to hold a DoD clearance
Benefits
Stratom offers an array of benefits to eligible full-time employees, including health insurance, life and AD&D insurance, a retirement investment plan, annual paid time off, and holiday pay.
Stratom is committed to providing Equal Opportunity in Employment, to all applicants and employees regardless of, race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, military status, veteran status, handicap, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by law.
Skills
CAD ModelingDesign For ManufacturabilityElectro-mechanical SystemsEngineering DocumentationGD&TGround Vehicle EngineeringHydraulic SystemsISO 9001:2015Manufacturing ProcessesMechanical System DesignPrototype DevelopmentRequirements DevelopmentStructural EngineeringTesting And TroubleshootingTolerance Analysis
Explore related jobs
More jobs at Stratom
Similar CAD Modeling jobs
Jobs in Louisville
- Regional On-Site SupervisorAccurate Personnel · Louisville, Kentucky
- Recruiter HourlyWellpath · Louisville, KY
- Truck DriverCharah Solutions Inc. · Louisville, KY
- Security Officer Part Time Unarmed Patrol MonitorAllied Universal · Louisville, KY
- ParalegalGordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP · Louisville, KY
- HR Shared Services SpecialistSazerac Company · Louisville, KY
Browse these categories
Market data for this role
All reports →- SeriesRole reportsOne role family at a time: how many openings, what changed this week, who is hiring, what it pays.
- SeriesSalary reportsWhat employers publish in job postings, by level and workplace. Not self-reported pay.
- Market overviewState of tech hiring, September 2026: up 4.8%Tech hiring rose 4.8% month over month in September 2026, with 411,122 new listings. Customer support and account executive roles led the growth.