UAV Battery Engineer

About Us

Harmattan AI is a next-generation defense prime building autonomous and scalable defense systems. Following the close of a $200M Series B, valuing the company at $1.4 billion, we are expanding our teams and capabilities to deliver mission-critical systems to allied forces.

Our work is guided by clear values: building technologies with real-world impact, pursuing excellence in everything we do, setting ambitious goals, and taking on the hardest technical challenges. We operate in a demanding environment where rigor, ownership, and execution are expected.

About the Role

We are looking for a UAV Battery Engineer to join our Hardware (Elec Team). This role is critical to owning the energy storage systems that power our UAV platforms. Our drones demand high energy density, reliability, and uncompromising safety under dynamic loads — and we need a dedicated expert to architect, test, and deliver battery systems from cell selection through to production-ready packs.

You will take end-to-end ownership of the UAV battery architecture, working hands-on with cells, BMS hardware, and thermal systems every day. This is a high-autonomy role where your decisions on cell chemistry, supplier selection, and safety protocols will directly shape the performance and reliability of our platforms.

Responsibilities

Battery Architecture & Cell Selection: Evaluate and qualify battery cell suppliers based on energy density, cycle life, cost, and safety performance. Define pack configuration and cell architecture for UAV platforms.

Battery Safety & Thermal Management: Lead the design of battery safety protocols, including thermal runaway mitigation and propagation resistance strategies. Conduct hazard analyses (DFMEA) and ensure compliance with standards such as UN38.3 and UL.

BMS Design & Integration: Own the Battery Management System architecture and algorithms, including State of Charge (SoC) and State of Health (SoH) estimation, cell balancing, and protection logic for highly dynamic load environments.

Testing & Validation: Perform hands-on testing of cells using cyclers and thermal chambers. Develop validation plans covering abuse scenarios such as overcharge, short circuit, and mechanical drop conditions. Analyse BMS log data and simulate thermal behaviour.

Supplier Management: Manage relationships with cell suppliers, covering technical specifications, quality control, and roadmaps. Build a reliable and scalable supplier pipeline.

Cross-Team Collaboration : Work closely with Mechanical Design on battery packaging constraints, Firmware on BMS parameters and algorithms, and external manufacturing partners.

Candidate Requirements

Educational Background: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related field.

Technical Expertise: Proven track record of taking battery systems from concept to production in high-performance robotics, aerospace, or UAV applications. Hands-on experience with cell characterisation, BMS architecture, and thermal management. Familiarity with safety compliance standards (e.g., UN38.3, UL).

Core Competencies: Cell selection and testing, supplier management and qualification, battery safety (thermal runaway mitigation), BMS architecture, pack packaging and integration, and regulatory compliance.

Ideal Background: Experience at drone manufacturers (e.g., DJI, Skydio, Anduril), EV companies (e.g., Rivian, Tesla), or advanced robotics and electrification organizations.

Attributes: Analytical, safety-conscious, data-driven, and highly structured. Strong communication skills, particularly for supplier negotiation and cross-functional collaboration.

Commitment: 100% dedication to Harmattan AI's mission, vision, and ambitious growth plans, ready to go the extra mile to ensure operational excellence.

We look forward to hearing how you can help shape the future of autonomous defense systems at Harmattan AI.