Principal Hardware Engineer / Director of Hardware
San Francisco Bay area
Technology – Hardware / Firmware /
Full time /
Hybrid
About Arable
At Arable, our mission is to connect all the world’s farms and provide the highest-quality data to power predictive analytics, optimizing the global food system. The need to rethink how we feed an ever-growing population and manage our natural resources has never been greater. We believe the heart of the solution lies in digitizing the analog world with high-fidelity data to help food producers optimize their operations. If successful, our work will enhance the lives of farmers, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, and make a significant contribution to securing the global food supply for decades to come.
Examples of our work:
- Helping farmers in Nebraska manage water more efficiently and sustainably
- Building agricultural climate data networks in Africa to help farmers adapt to climate change.
- Providing California farmers with tools to save water, reduce risk, and minimize waste
The Role:
We are seeking a senior hardware leader to spearhead the development of our hardware ecosystem, including the Arable Mark 3 and future sensing platforms.
This pivotal role will shape the future of our sensing platforms while ensuring exceptional agricultural technology solutions worldwide.
What You Will Do
- Lead hardware engineering throughout product lifecycle from concept to production
- Manage domestic and offshore manufacturing operations
- Oversee and validate ODM designs to meet Arable’s quality standards
- Develop technical documentation for designs, testing, and support
- Lead prototyping efforts for new hardware products and features
- Participate in product validation and testing with QA teams
- Collaborate with product management, software, operations, and customer success
- Manage key vendor relationships and component selection
- Coordinate bug tracking and resolution for hardware issues
- Support manufacturing test fixtures and processes
- Provide technical leadership and mentorship, helping to influence technology direction and build long-term organizational capability
What you bring:
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or related field
- 6+ years of hardware engineering experience with full PCB design lifecycle
- Proficiency with schematic capture, PCB layout, and board bring-up, and lab equipment
- Knowledge of regulatory testing (FCC, CE) and NPI processes
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
- Self-starter who works well in fast-paced environments
- Excellent communication and organizational skills
- Advanced technical degree
- 8+ years bringing multiple hardware products to mass production
- Experience managing or collaborating with offshore teams
- Knowledge of C programming for embedded systems
- Wireless product design (WiFi, BLE, cellular) and/or RTOS experience
- Background in agricultural or environmental sensor technology
- Prior experience building and leading engineering initiatives, teams, or processes
- Expertise in low-power system design, particularly for solar-powered and battery-powered devices
Preferred
Qualities for Success
- Passion for Sustainability: Care deeply about global food systems and environmental impact
- Startup Mindset: Thrive in fast-paced environments with multiple responsibilities
- Technical Leadership: Ownership of projects and influence on technology roadmap
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Effective communication across different teams
- Resourcefulness: Design cost-effective solutions and troubleshoot in field
- Adaptability: Stay current with emerging technologies and navigate new challenges
- Leadership Potential: Ability to inspire, mentor, and elevate peers and partners
Why Join Arable?
Work alongside top innovators in ag tech dedicated to transforming global agriculture.
Make a direct impact on sustainability and water conservation in farming communities worldwide.
Play a key role in adoption of cutting-edge technology and education for growers.
What We Offer:
- Excellent medical, dental, vision, and 401k program
- Flexible PTO
- Opportunities for career development and community involvement
- A chance to create innovative products that positively impact the world
Arable celebrates diversity and is an equal-opportunity employer. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds and experiences.
