Hardware Validation Manager

Join Axon and be a Force for Good.

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.

Your Impact

As a Manager on the Product Integrity team, you'll lead the engineers who prove Axon's hardware is ready for the field. The Manager, Hardware Validation owns the hardware validation plan and team for all Axon products. This role blends people leadership with hands-on technical ownership: coaching a team of validation engineers, setting the technical bar for test rigor, and partnering across Hardware, Firmware, Manufacturing, Quality, and Program Management teams to ensure products meet functional, environmental, reliability, and safety requirements at every program milestone.

What You'll Do

Location: Onsite at our Phoenix, Deer Valley location

Reports to: Senior Director, Product Integrity

Direct Reports: Hardware Validation Engineers

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of hardware validation engineers, setting technical direction, priorities, and career growth plans.
• Own the validation plan for assigned product programs, from requirements definition through prototype, development, and production release.
• Define and drive execution of test plans covering functional, environmental (thermal, vibration, ingress, drop/shock), EMC/EMI, reliability, and safety compliance testing.
• Partner with Hardware Engineering, Firmware, Manufacturing, Quality, and Regulatory teams to identify design risks early and drive root-cause investigations to closure.
• Support test lab infrastructure needs, including equipment, fixtures, automation, and data systems, for assigned product lines.
• Track validation metrics and exit criteria for program gate reviews, and report status and risk to the Sr. Manager, Hardware Validation.
• Support relationships with external test labs and certification bodies (UL, FCC, CE, MIL-STD, IP ratings, and similar) for assigned programs.
• Drive continuous improvement in test coverage, cycle time, and defect escape rates within the team.

What You Bring

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Mechanical, or a related field.
• 8+ years of experience in hardware test, validation, or reliability engineering.
• 2+ years of experience leading or managing engineers in a validation, test, or reliability function.
• Hands-on experience with environmental and reliability test methods (e.g., HALT/HASS, vibration, thermal, ingress, drop/shock, EMC).
• Working knowledge of industry and regulatory test standards (MIL-STD, IEC, ISO, ASTM) and EMC/regulatory certification processes.
• Experience with test automation, data acquisition systems, and statistical analysis of test results (e.g., DOE, reliability modeling, Weibull analysis).
• Strong communication skills, with experience presenting test results and technical trade-offs to cross-functional stakeholders.
• Experience with connected/IoT hardware, wearables, or public safety technology is a plus.
• Six Sigma Green Belt certification a plus.

Travel required:

Up to 15%, for manufacturing and supplier site visits, outside test labs, and program reviews.

Benefits that Benefit You

• Competitive salary and 401k with employer match
• Discretionary paid time off
• Paid parental leave for all
• Medical, dental, and vision plans
• Fitness programs
• Emotional and mental wellness support
• Learning and development programs
• 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.

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.

Important Notes

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.

We collect personal information from applicants to evaluate candidates for employment. You may request access, deletion, or exercise other CCPA rights at axongreenhousesupport@axon.com or via our Axon Privacy Web Form. For more information, please see the Your California Privacy Rights section of our Applicant and Candidate Privacy Notice.

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.

Phishing alert:  Axon will never ask you to pay for any part of the hiring process, including training, equipment, or background checks. We do not make job offers via text message, WhatsApp, or instant messaging platforms without a formal interview process.  All legitimate job openings are listed on our official careers page at https://www.axon.com/careers.  If you receive a suspicious offer or outreach from an email address that is not @axon.com, or if you are asked for sensitive personal information (bank details, Social Security Number) prematurely, please ignore the message and report it to recruitingops@axon.com.