Entry Level Firmware Engineer Jobs in Washington

At Axon, we're on a mission to Protect Life. We're explorers, pursuing society's most critical safety and justice issues with our ecosystem of devices and cloud software. Like our products, we work better together. We connect with candor and care, seeking out diverse perspectives from our customers, communities and each other.

Life at Axon is fast-paced, challenging and meaningful. Here, you'll take ownership and drive real change. Constantly grow as you work hard for a mission that matters at a company where you matter.

Dedrone stands out as the global leader in airspace defense technology and counter UAS solutions. Engineering at Dedrone is tasked with delivering innovative solutions and products to maintain our position on the cutting-edge of innovation.

This is an entry-level Electrical Engineer role for someone who wants to build hardware with their own hands and grow into a design engineer. You'll work side-by-side with our electrical engineering team across the full lifecycle of next-generation cUAS hardware - building and bringing up boards, designing cable assemblies and wire harnesses, laying out PCBs, running verification and qualification tests, and troubleshooting hardware down to the component level.

Expect to spend real time at the bench. Roughly a third of this job is hands-on build, test, and debug work, and you'll also take ownership of our lab - its equipment, calibration, fixtures, and organization. The rest is design work alongside senior engineers, starting with cables, harnesses, and PCB layout, and growing into schematic capture and design ownership of your own boards. We're an analysis-driven team: we expect decisions to be backed by a calculation or a measurement, and we'll teach you how we do that.

You'll collaborate closely with electrical, mechanical, and firmware engineers, product managers, and manufacturing partners, and your work directly supports our mission of protecting airspace and the public from the emerging cUAS threat.

Sterling, VA - hybrid, onsite Tuesday through Friday

• First six months - build, wire, and test to existing drawings; run bench tests to written plans; get our lab in order and learn our products.
• Six to twelve months - own cable and harness design end to end, including the documentation; take on routine PCB layouts; build and document your own test fixtures.
• One to two years - handle layout for most of our boards, own our library and layout standards, write your own test plans, and begin schematic capture on well‑bounded blocks.
• Beyond - schematic ownership of whole boards, analysis you present at design reviews, and a clear path to Electrical Engineer II.

• Build, assemble, and rework prototype and pilot‑run electronic assemblies, including PCBs, cable/wire harnesses, and mechanical/electrical integration, following schematics, assembly drawings, and IPC workmanship standards.
• Design cable assemblies and wire harnesses - connector and contact selection, pinouts and wire lists, gauge selection with proper derating, shielding and grounding, labeling, and the drawings someone else can build from.
• Lay out printed circuit boards from schematics owned by senior engineers, and generate complete fabrication and assembly packages. You'll grow into schematic capture as your fluency builds.
• Perform hardware bring‑up, functional test, and debug of new boards and systems, using lab equipment such as multimeters, oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, power supplies, and signal generators.
• Diagnose and troubleshoot electrical faults to the component level, and work with engineers to root‑cause and resolve issues found during bring‑up, integration, and qualification testing.
• Support power system testing (DC/DC, AC/DC, battery management) and RF/sensor subsystem checkout across a range of power levels and environmental conditions relevant to cUAS platforms.
• Execute test plans and formal verification/validation procedures (EMC, environmental, MIL-STD, etc.), accurately recording data and clearly documenting results and anomalies - and grow into writing those test plans yourself.
• Own our lab: equipment inventory and calibration tracking, ESD and electrical safety practice, consumables, and the cable and fixture organization that lets the whole team move faster.
• Build and maintain test fixtures, jigs, and bench setups to support engineering development and production test needs.
• Maintain organized, accurate documentation for builds, test data, calibration records, firmware/hardware revisions, BOMs, and non‑conformances.
• Partner daily with electrical, mechanical, and firmware engineers as well as product and manufacturing teams to support fast‑moving R&D and production programs.

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or a related field. An associate's degree or technical certificate in Electronics Engineering Technology with strong hands‑on experience also works.
• 0-3 years of professional experience. New graduates are encouraged to apply - internships, co‑ops, capstone projects, competition teams (FSAE, robotics, rocketry), military electronics, and serious maker or hobbyist work all count.
• At least one project you can walk us through where you designed or built the electronics yourself, and can explain the decisions you made and why. School and personal projects are entirely fair game.
• Hands‑on proficiency with soldering, rework, and cable/harness assembly. IPC‑A‑610 / J‑STD‑001 training or certification is a plus.
• Working knowledge of lab test equipment (DMM, oscilloscope, power supply, function generator) and comfort reading schematics and assembly drawings.
• Solid grasp of electrical fundamentals (analog and digital circuits, power distribution) and real enthusiasm for growing into circuit design and PCB layout.
• Some exposure to schematic and PCB capture tools. We use Altium Designer, but we don't expect you to know it - KiCad, Eagle, OrCAD, or a single class project all count, and we'll train you on ours.
• A habit of checking your own work. We want to hear about a time you ran a calculation or a test to confirm a decision instead of building it and hoping.
• Strong attention to detail and disciplined documentation habits; comfortable following formal test procedures and workmanship standards.
• Good troubleshooting instincts and a drive to understand root cause, not just symptoms.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast‑paced, dynamic environment with high levels of ambiguity, and eagerness to take on greater engineering scope as your skills develop.

• Competitive salary and 401k with employer match
• Discretionary paid time off
• Paid parental leave for all
• Medical, Dental, Vision plans
• Fitness Programs
• Emotional & Mental Wellness support
• Learning & Development programs
• Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)
• And yes, we have snacks in our offices

Benefits listed herein may vary depending on the nature of your employment and the location where you work.

Axon is a total compensation company, meaning compensation is made up of base pay, bonus, and stock awards. The actual base pay is dependent upon many factors, such as: level, function, training, transferable skills, work experience, business needs, geographic market, and often a combination of all these factors. Our benefits offer an array of options to help support you physically, financially and emotionally through the big milestones and in your everyday life. To see more details on our benefits offerings please visit https://www.axon.com/careers.

Base Pay Range

$75,000-$120,000 USD

Don't meet every single requirement? That's ok. At Axon, we Aim Far. We think big with a long-term view because we want to reinvent the world to be a safer, better place. We are also committed to building diverse teams that reflect the communities we serve.

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they check every box in the job description. If you're excited about this role and our mission to Protect Life but your experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification listed here, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

The above job description is not intended as, nor should it be construed as, exhaustive of all duties, responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with this job. The job description may change or be supplemented at any time in accordance with business needs and conditions.

Some roles may also require legal eligibility to work in a firearms environment.

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Axon's mission is to Protect Life and is committed to the well-being and safety of its employees as well as Axon's impact on the environment. All Axon employees must be aware of and committed to the appropriate environmental, health, and safety regulations, policies, and procedures. Axon employees are empowered to report safety concerns as they arise and activities potentially impacting the environment.

We are an equal opportunity employer that promotes justice, advances equity, values diversity and fosters inclusion. We're committed to hiring the best talent - regardless of race, creed, color, ancestry, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship status, marital status, disability, gender identity, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances - and empowering all of our employees so they can do their best work. If you have a disability or special need that requires assistance or accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please email recruitingops@axon.com. Please note that this email address is for accommodation purposes only. Axon will not respond to inquiries for other purposes.