Applications Engineering Manager, Electronics

Company Overview

Vertiq is a Philadelphia-based startup that makes advanced propulsion systems for commercial and defense aerial vehicles. Vertiq spun out of the University of Pennsylvania’s robotics lab with the goal of perfecting the components that make vehicles move. We are looking for talented people to join us in revolutionizing the mobile robotics industry. You can find us at vertiq.co.

Job Overview

Vertiq is currently seeking a self-motivated Applications Engineering Manager with strong electronics expertise who is comfortable working directly with customers and internal engineering teams. This role requires a high level of technical competence, managerial skills, and the ability to operate effectively in small, cross-disciplinary teams. Their primary focus will be to run a team which supports customers in the integration, debugging, and optimization of Vertiq’s propulsion systems, including electronics, embedded firmware, and system-level performance. The company is located in Philadelphia, PA. This role will require a mix of on-site work, customer travel, and remote support.

Responsibilities and Duties:

Team Leadership & Development

• Manage, mentor, and grow a team of applications engineers
• Establish best practices for customer support, issue tracking, and technical communication
• Drive accountability, prioritization, and continuous improvement across the team

Customer Support & Technical Engagement

• Act as the primary escalation point for complex customer issues related to PCBs, power electronics, and system integration
• Work directly with customers to debug electrical and hardware integration challenges
• Provide hands-on support for schematics, layout considerations, signal integrity, and power delivery issues

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Electrical, Firmware, and Mechanical Engineering teams to resolve customer issues and drive product improvements
• Translate customer feedback into actionable engineering requirements
• Support product launches by ensuring readiness of documentation, tools, and support infrastructure

Technical Expertise

• Guide customers on best practices for integrating power electronics systems, including motor drives, embedded controls, and PCB-level design
• Review schematics, layouts, and system architectures to ensure robust integration
• Develop technical resources such as application notes, reference designs, and troubleshooting guides

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related field
• 5+ years of experience in power electronics, PCB design, or embedded electrical systems
• 2+ years of experience leading or mentoring engineering teams
• 2+ years of experience working directly with customers in an applications engineering role
• Strong understanding of power electronics, PCB design and layout considerations, and electrical system integration and debugging
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain complex technical issues clearly

Preferred:

• Experience working with drone propulsion systems, BLDC motors, or robotic actuation systems
• Familiarity with embedded systems and firmware-hardware interaction