Systems Engineer

About Vale

At Vale, our goal is to make magic and bring the real benefits of matcha to a billion people. We are a group of fun-loving, matcha enthusiasts who believe that a good idea can come from anywhere. Vale is a Seattle startup making magic through cutting-edge technology, automation, and world class hospitality experiences. We are a dynamic and highly cross functional team with a wealth of experience in food service, food automation, software engineering, aerospace, and consumer electronics. We have come together to develop the Matcha experience of the future — whether that's in a cafe, your neighborhood park, or at home.

About you

You are someone who is enthusiastic about matcha, obsessed with innovation, and loves being a part of a dynamic team.

• Enthusiastic about matcha. The world of matcha is huge, so you should be curious about its benefits, flavor profiles, and methods of preparation.
• Detail Oriented. Take pride in your craft and ensure Vale's products are consistent, repeatable, and of the highest quality.
• Versatile. Bringing matcha to a billion people is dynamic work! You should be comfortable sharing your expertise in one area, but capable of owning something new in another.
• A bar raiser with proven experience. You don't just meet the standard — you raise it. You bring deep, hands-on expertise that elevates everyone around you and sets a new benchmark for what great looks like.
• Excited to be a part of a growing team. Vale is a growing company and we want you to grow with us.
• A big-picture thinker. You keep the whole system coherent while teams work deep in subsystems. You make complexity manageable.

The role

As a Systems Engineer, you will own the system-level definition, integration, and validation of Vale's hardware products, ensuring all subsystems come together reliably and on time.

• Develop and maintain system requirements, architecture, and interface control documents
• Lead system integration activities across mechanical, electrical, firmware, and software teams
• Define and own the system verification and validation (V&V) strategy
• Identify and manage system-level risks and interface risks
• Conduct failure mode analysis (FMEA) and ensure mitigations are implemented
• Track design trades and document decisions in a structured, traceable way
• Partner with Product Management to ensure engineering decisions align with product requirements

Qualifications

• Legally authorized to work in the United States
• 5+ years of systems engineering experience in hardware product development
• Experience with requirements management tools (DOORS, Jama, or similar)
• Strong understanding of V-model development and systems verification methodology
• Background in at least one hardware discipline (mechanical, electrical, or firmware)
• Experience with FMEA, FTA, or other reliability/safety analysis techniques

Compensation

$125,000 – $160,000 per year

Benefits

• Company funded ORCA card
• Medical, dental, and vision benefits
• Annual bonuses
• Joining a fun startup in Seattle