Founding Hardware Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

San Francisco, CA · On-site · Full-time
Compensation: $150,000–$200,000 + equity

About the Company

Our client is a seed-stage aviation-AI company (founded 2024, roughly five people today) building an in-cockpit hardware device that streams flight audio and telemetry to the cloud, where their AI turns each flight into an automated debrief for instructors and squadron commanders. The device is already deployed across leading collegiate flight-training programs and with a U.S. military customer, and this is a founding hire who will own the physical product as one of the company's first ten employees.

Founded 2024 · ~5 people · Industry: Aviation

The Role

This is a founding hardware role owning the device end to end — from its current 3D-printed prototype to a fleet-deployed cockpit product. You'll work directly with the CTO and lead software engineer, be deeply hands-on, and make consequential architecture and build decisions with limited precedent. Comfort reasoning through a six-month hardware roadmap in real time is essential.

What you'll be doing

• Own the full PCB lifecycle — architecture, component selection, layout, and iterative builds toward a fleet-ready device
• Make build-vs-outsource calls on manufacturing, weighing cost, compute, and thermal constraints for an in-cockpit environment
• Lead component sourcing and procurement across the supply chain
• Plan and run environmental testing against heat, vibration, and RF-noise conditions in live aircraft
• Develop and own embedded firmware and edge processing logic as the hardware matures
• Partner with the software team so the hardware captures the data the analytics layer needs

Tech stack: PCB / schematic design, microcontrollers, embedded C/C++ or Python, RTOS or embedded Linux, wireless modules (cellular / Wi-Fi / Bluetooth), edge-to-cloud streaming, OTA updates.

Requirements

• Roughly 5+ years of hands-on hardware or embedded systems engineering, with a track record of taking a complex connected device to market
• Able to design and lay out a PCB independently — schematic design, component selection, and board bring-up
• Solid electronics-design foundation across microcontrollers and wireless communication modules
• Strong embedded C/C++ or Python for edge applications, with RTOS or embedded Linux experience
• Comfortable with component sourcing and procurement, and the downstream trade-offs those choices create
• Familiar with edge-to-cloud architecture, device fleet management, and live data infrastructure
• Hands-on with hardware certification and environmental / regulatory testing for demanding operating conditions
• A startup or otherwise lean background where you personally owned hardware decisions end to end
• Able to walk fluently through a multi-month hardware plan and justify architectural trade-offs on the spot
• Willing to work in person in San Francisco and keep intense startup hours

Nice to Haves

• Edge processing and lossless streaming of high-bandwidth data, including real-time audio and signal processing
• Background building hardware for aviation, defense, or other safety-critical regulated industries
• Familiarity with avionics data formats, cockpit audio systems, or aircraft electrical environments
• Prior sensor-device or connected-hardware work in a startup setting
• Experience navigating environmental and regulatory testing programs

Why Join

• Founding ownership of the physical product as one of the first ten employees, working directly with the CTO
• Real-world impact — the device is already flying in cockpits at flight schools and with a U.S. military customer
• Flight training provided so you can earn a pilot's license and build genuine domain expertise
• A clear path into hardware leadership as the company scales