Sr Application Engineer – Defense & Drone Systems

Location: Fremont CA, US

Time Type: Full time

Job Description

Position Summary 

Enovix is seeking a Senior Applications Engineer to lead technical engagements with defense, drone, robotics, and autonomous systems customers. This role serves as a critical bridge between customer engineering teams and Enovix's product, cell engineering, and manufacturing organizations. The ideal candidate possesses deep experience with battery-powered platforms such as UAVs, UAS payloads, loitering munitions, unmanned ground vehicles, soldier systems, tactical communications equipment, robotics, or aerospace platforms. They understand how batteries impact mission performance and can translate operational requirements into technical solution. This highly customer-facing role requires strong systems engineering skills, hands-on troubleshooting capability, and the ability to influence design decisions at leading defense OEMs and integrators. 

Key Responsibilities 

Customer Technical Leadership 

• Serve as the primary technical interface for defense and drone customers evaluating and integrating Enovix batteries. 

• Support design-in activities from initial evaluation through production deployment. 

• Conduct technical reviews with customer engineering teams, system architects, and program managers. 

• Develop trusted advisor relationships with key defense OEMs, drone manufacturers, battery pack developers, and system integrators. 

System Integration & Validation 

• Support integration of Enovix cells into:

• UAVs 

• Robotics platforms 

• Aerospace and defense electronics 

• Define battery characterization, validation, and qualification plans. 

• Evaluate system-level performance impacts including:

• Flight endurance 

• Payload capability 

• High-power operation 

• Fast charging 

• Thermal management 

• Environmental durability 

• Analyze field performance and recommend design improvements. 

Technical Problem Solving 

• Lead root-cause analysis of customer integration and performance issues. 

• Investigate failures related to:

• Battery performance 

• Charging systems 

• System integration 

• Reliability and field returns 

• Work cross-functionally to drive corrective actions and customer solutions. 

Product & Market Development 

• Gather customer requirements and provide feedback to Product Management and R&D. 

• Support benchmarking of competitive battery technologies used in defense and drone applications. 

• Assess emerging opportunities in:

• Autonomous systems 

• Defense modernization programs 

• Tactical ISR platforms 

• AI-enabled edge devices 

• Next-generation soldier systems 

• Contribute to application notes, integration guides, white papers, and customer training materials. 

Business Support 

• Support strategic customer visits, technical workshops, demonstrations, and industry events. 

• Participate in proposal reviews and technical evaluations. 

• Help establish Enovix as the preferred battery technology supplier for defense and autonomous systems. 

Required Qualifications 

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related discipline. 

• 5+ years of engineering experience in one or more of the following:

• Defense systems 

• Drone/UAV platforms 

• Aerospace systems 

• Battery technologies 

• Autonomous systems 

• Robotics 

• Power electronics 

• Hands-on experience supporting customer-facing engineering programs. 

• Strong understanding of lithium-ion batteries and battery system integration. 

• Experience with system-level validation and qualification testing. 

• Ability to analyze electrical, thermal, and mechanical interactions within battery-powered systems. 

• Excellent presentation, communication, and technical writing skills. 

• Strong troubleshooting and root-cause analysis capability. 

• Ability to travel domestically and internationally (up to 20%) to customer and industry locations. 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Experience working with UAV or military battery systems. 

• Experience supporting defense contractors, government programs, or military customers. 

• Familiarity with battery management systems (BMS), charging architectures, and power distribution systems. 

• Understanding of drone mission profiles and propulsion requirements. 

• Experience with environmental, vibration, shock, abuse, and reliability testing. 

• Knowledge of military and aerospace qualification standards. 

• Familiarity with battery pack development and integration. 

• Experience supporting field testing and operational evaluations. 

• Advanced degree in relevant engineering discipline. 

Ideal Candidate Profile 

The successful candidate is a systems thinker who understands that battery performance directly impacts mission effectiveness. They are equally comfortable reviewing cell test data, discussing flight endurance with UAV engineers, troubleshooting thermal issues in a tactical system, or presenting technical solutions to senior customer leadership. 

They thrive in fast-paced environments and are passionate about enabling next-generation defense and autonomous platforms through advanced energy storage technology. 

Success Metrics 

• Successful customer design-ins and program wins. 

• Deployment of Enovix batteries into operational defense and drone platforms. 

• Rapid resolution of customer technical issues. 

• Strong customer satisfaction and technical credibility. 

• Effective translation of market requirements into future Enovix products. 

• Growth of Enovix's position within the defense, drone, and autonomous systems markets. 

About Enovix 

Enovix is revolutionizing lithium-ion battery technology through its breakthrough 3D Silicon™ battery4 architecture, delivering industry-leading energy density for applications where performance, endurance, and reliability are mission critical. As Enovix expands into defense, uncrewed systems, robotics, and next-generation aerospace platforms, we are seeking exceptional engineers to help our customers integrate advanced battery solutions into demanding operational environments. 

Benefits:

Base Salary Range- $120,000-$175,000

• Base salary is just one part of the overall compensation.
• We also offer bonus, equity and package of benefits including paid time off, medical/dental/vision insurance, life insurance, disability insurance.
• We adopt a holistic approach to our benefits programs, emphasizing physical, emotional, financial, career, and community wellness to support a balanced life.
• Our packages are tailored to meet local needs and may include healthcare coverage, mental well-being support, retirement savings, paid time off, family leaves.