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Director Hardware Engineering Jobs in Seattle, WA

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Director Hardware Engineering information

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$83.1K

$221.6K

$289.1K

How much do director hardware engineering jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 27, 2026, the average yearly pay for director hardware engineering in Seattle, WA is $221,584.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $161,000.00 and $287,900.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a director of hardware engineering do?

A Director of Hardware Engineering leads and oversees teams responsible for designing, developing, and testing hardware components and systems. This role involves setting technical direction, managing budgets and resources, and ensuring that projects meet performance, quality, and timeline goals. Directors also collaborate with other departments such as software engineering, product management, and manufacturing to deliver integrated solutions. Additionally, they play a key role in strategic planning and mentoring engineering talent within the organization.

How does a director of hardware engineering typically collaborate with cross-functional teams during a product development cycle?

A Director of Hardware Engineering plays a pivotal role in coordinating with cross-functional teams such as software engineering, product management, manufacturing, and quality assurance throughout the product development lifecycle. They facilitate regular meetings to align on project goals, address technical challenges, and ensure that hardware designs integrate seamlessly with other system components. Additionally, they often mediate between technical staff and executive leadership to balance innovation, cost, and timelines, while promoting effective communication and problem-solving across departments.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a director of hardware engineering, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Director of Hardware Engineering, you need deep expertise in hardware design, project management, and a relevant engineering degree, often backed by extensive industry experience. Familiarity with CAD tools, hardware simulation software, and certifications in project management (such as PMP) are typically important. Strong leadership, strategic thinking, and effective communication are essential soft skills for guiding teams and aligning engineering efforts with business goals. These skills ensure the successful delivery of innovative hardware solutions, team productivity, and alignment with organizational objectives.

What are popular job titles related to Director Hardware Engineering jobs in Seattle, WA?

For Director Hardware Engineering jobs in Seattle, WA, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Director Hardware Engineering jobs in Seattle, WA look for?

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What cities near Seattle, WA are hiring for Director Hardware Engineering jobs?

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Director Hardware Engineering jobs near you
Infographic showing various Director Hardware Engineering job openings in Seattle, WA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 83% In-person, and 17% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $221,584 per year, or $106.5 per hour.

Director of Hardware Engineering - Spaceborne Radar Systems

Kapta Space

Redmond, WA

Full-time

Posted yesterday

New

Job description

Kapta Space, a VC-funded early-stage startup in Seattle, WA, is breaking new ground in Geospatial Intelligence.  Our technology centers around a proven, scalable electronically-steered radar for sophisticated spaceborne applications such as earth observation using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) techniques, as well as enabling advanced defense missions such as target tracking on the ground and in the air.

As the Director of Hardware Engineering, you will lead the design, development, qualification, and deployment of our scalable, electronically-steered radar for advanced spaceborne ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) missions. You will lead development of mission-critical hardware across RF/antenna systems, high-speed digital, mixed-signal electronics, power electronics, and mechanical/thermal packaging, taking products from concept through flight. You will guide multi-disciplinary teams to deliver high-performance compliant hardware in harsh LEO (Low-earth orbit) environments, ensuring technical excellence, schedule and budget accountability, and seamless integration with spacecraft bus partners.

You shall exhibit deep technical depth and apply advanced technical principles, theories, and concepts. The ideal candidate must have the drive and experience to complete projects independently and on aggressive timelines.
Role
  • Lead the definition of hardware system architecture for electronically-steered radar subsystems including electronically steered antennas, RF front-ends, power electronics, high-speed digital and mixed-signal electronics, and embedded processing hardware.
  • Direct full product lifecycle execution: requirements, architecture, detailed design, prototype build, environmental/radiation/EMI-EMC qualification, manufacturing introduction and spacecraft integration.
  • Recruit, hire, manage and mentor cross-disciplinary engineering teams, guiding execution, staffing, team growth, and culture of ownership and innovation.
  • Partner closely with system engineering, software/firmware, GNC, payload/instrument, and operations to ensure coherent hardware-software interaction, robust performance, and smooth delivery.
  • Own hardware V&V and TRL-advancement strategy: signal/power integrity analysis, reliability modeling, and environmental testing (thermal, vibration, shock, vacuum, EMI/EMC, radiation).
  • Proactively collaborate with Program Management Office to manage schedules, budgets, risk mitigation, and resource plans to meet mission performance and reliability targets.
  • In conjunction with Program Management Office, drive manufacturability, cost efficiency, and quality through DFX (Design for Excellence) principles and NPI hand-off to production partners.
  • Support engagement with customers, suppliers, and subcontractors throughout the product development life cycle.  
Required Qualifications
  • BS/MS, or PhD in Physics, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent discipline.
  • Significant experience developing mission-critical hardware for space and/or defense environments.
  • Significant experience as a principal-level individual contributor working with multi-disciplinary engineering teams delivering complex spaceborne hardware.
  • Significant experience (~10+ years) in leadership/management of engineering teams across hardware disciplines
  • Technical depth in RF/Microwave, Antenna systems, Radar, high-speed digital and mixed-signal electronics and power electronics.
  • Experience with PCB design, EMI/EMC practices, and mechanical/thermal packaging for high-reliability hardware.
  • Proven success qualifying hardware for environmental and radiation conditions and supporting spacecraft/field deployments.
  • Demonstrated understanding of program planning, budget control, schedule execution, risk management, and cross-functional resource management.
  • Excellent communication skills, with ability to present to senior leadership and collaborate with customers and suppliers.
  • Must be eligible to obtain and hold a US DoD security clearance (TS with SCI).
Bonus if candidates have experience and skills in the following areas:
  • Experience with electronically-steered or phased-array radar systems, including beam-steering, calibration approaches and general space reliability.
  • Familiarity with space-qualified component engineering, radiation-tolerant design trade-offs and COTS-to-space conversion strategies.
  • Familiarity with modeling and simulation tools for RF/antenna, signal/power integrity, thermal/structural analyses.
  • Experience with acceptance and qualification test of space rated hardware and related standards such as SMC-S-016, GSFC-STD-7000, MIL-STD-461.
  • Experience in defense contracting environments or ISR/target-tracking radar missions.
  • Exposure to hardware manufacturing scaling, DFM for high-volume production, or lean development practices.
  • Experience collaborating across global supply chains and managing subcontractors.

Concerned you do not meet all the requirements? Not a problem - please apply even if you do not meet all these criteria.

The estimated salary range for this role reflects base pay only and is influenced by a variety of factors. Actual offers may vary based on—though not limited to—a candidate’s experience, education or training, specialized expertise, and the needs of the business. In addition to base pay, full-time roles include competitive equity grants that reward innovation, impact, and long-term growth. Our total compensation philosophy is designed to recognize excellence while fostering a culture of collaboration, curiosity, and shared success.

U.S. Citizenship, Lawful Permanent Residency, or Refugee/Asylee Status Required
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Kapta Employees must be U.S. citizens, lawful U.S. permanent residents (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State or Commerce as applicable.

Kapta Space is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. We believe that diversity drives innovation, strengthens our team, and broadens our capabilities. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and encourage individuals from underrepresented groups to apply.

Kapta Space does not engage with external recruiters or agencies without prior written agreement. If you are a recruiter (individual or agency) and wish to engage with Kapta Space for talent acquisition, please email hr@kaptaspace.com.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. All final hiring decisions are made by humans.