Principal Hardware Engineer / Director of Hardware

Arable • San Francisco, CA

1d

About The Position

Arable is seeking a senior hardware leader to spearhead the development of its hardware ecosystem, including the Arable Mark 3 and future sensing platforms. This role is pivotal in shaping the future of sensing platforms and ensuring exceptional agricultural technology solutions worldwide. The company's goal is to connect all the world’s farms to help optimize the global food system by digitizing the analog world with high-fidelity data. Arable's work helps farmers maximize ROI through precision irrigation and data-driven water management, supports partners in meeting sustainability and climate resilience goals, and equips growers with insights to improve decision-making, reduce waste, and enhance yields.

Requirements

• 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

Nice To Haves

• 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

Responsibilities

• Lead hardware engineering throughout the 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

Benefits

• Excellent medical, dental, vision, life, disability benefits, and a 401k Program
• Ability to work closely with customers
• A focus on community involvement and career development

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior