Full-Time

Mechatronics Engineer

Arxlight

Arxlight

Autonomous interceptor drones for air defense

Compensation Overview

$75k - $185k/yr

Oakland, CA, USA

In Person

Travel to test sites and vendor visits may be required.

Bachelor's, Master's, PhD

Category
Engineering Management
Required Skills
Altium
Mechatronics
SolidWorks
Requirements
  • A Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, or Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related field is required.
  • Experience in an immersive technical project, such as collegiate project teams or professional settings, is required.
  • Experience developing complex electromechanical systems, such as robots, unmanned aerial vehicles, wearables, high-power systems, or electric propulsion systems, is required.
  • Ability to read, interpret, and manipulate block diagrams, schematics, wiring diagrams, and layouts is required.
  • Strong command of engineering first principles is required.
Responsibilities
  • Execute rapid evaluations of engineering concepts across electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, software engineering, and manufacturing.
  • Build prototypes, analyze failures, and transition successful projects into production.
  • Design, implement, and test complex electromechanical systems.
  • Own systems and execute entire projects with substantial professional autonomy.
  • Lead design reviews, run analyses, visit vendors, and define and execute hardware test plans.
  • Support critical hardware demonstrations with customers as needed.
  • Use first-principles physics as the basis for engineering decisions.
  • Travel to test sites as needed.
Desired Qualifications
  • Multiple degrees or minors in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related field.
  • Experience with mechanical computer-aided design tools such as SolidWorks, NX, or Fusion 360.
  • Experience with electrical computer-aided design tools such as Altium or KiCad.
  • Hands-on prototyping experience, including 3D printing, machining, soldering, board assembly, and harnessing.
  • Strong organizational skills.
  • Familiarity with microcontrollers, power conversion, and system integration.
  • Leadership and interpersonal skills.
  • Familiarity with designing for rugged environments.
  • Experience characterizing circuits at both schematic and board level.
  • Familiarity with wireless communication protocols.
  • Experience with microcontroller wired communication protocols, including USB, MIPI CSI-2, SPI, I2C, CAN, CAN-FD, UART, RS-232, RS-422, and RS-485.
  • Experience with motor and servo drives, including brushless DC and brushed motor controller design and servo control systems.
  • Practical experience with electrical engineering tools, including oscilloscopes, power supplies, electronic loads, and multimeters.

Arxlight develops autonomous interceptor drones for air and missile defense. The drones use LWIR sensors, computer vision, autonomy software, and an integrated GNC stack to autonomously detect, identify, and intercept threats through sensor fusion and automated flight. It differentiates itself with a defense-first, stealth-mode approach and by recruiting senior engineers to build a sensor-rich platform tailored for national security rather than consumer markets. The goal is to deliver next-generation capabilities for air and missile defense and counter-drone operations for military and national-security customers.

Company Size

N/A

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

N/A

Founded

N/A

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • August 2026 hiring shows active buildout across 18 on-site roles in Oakland.
  • Website and postings emphasize integrated air defense, matching urgent U.S. counter-UAS demand.
  • Experienced founders and senior engineering recruiting signal credible execution momentum.

What critics are saying

  • No public funding, contracts, or deployed systems; revenue timing stays opaque.
  • April 2026 post-production leadership roles imply Arxlight lacks fielded products today.
  • Anduril, Lockheed Martin, and nLIGHT can outspend Arxlight before 2027 procurement.

What makes Arxlight unique

  • Stealth-mode Oakland team builds autonomous interceptor drones for air and missile defense.
  • Hiring spans LWIR, computer vision, GNC, firmware, and robotics hardware roles.
  • Paul White joined June 2025 after drone engineering leadership at Anduril.

Help us improve and share your feedback! Did you find this helpful?

Benefits

Flexible Work Hours