Sr. Embedded Systems Engineer

Throne Labs•San Francisco, CA

19h

About The Position

Throne is a high-growth Series B startup on a mission to meaningfully expand access to clean and delightful bathrooms, and they’re growing fast. With flagship customers like the District of Columbia, Caltrain, and LA Metro, they’re on track to more than 2x ARR this year, making this a pivotal moment for the brand. This role will own the design, development, and deployment of Throne’s next-generation embedded systems platform—the “brain” powering its smart restroom infrastructure. You will lead the transition from Raspberry Pi–based systems to a production-grade microcontroller or SOM architecture, while building robust firmware and hardware systems that perform reliably in real-world, high-usage environments. The ideal candidate is a hands-on builder with strong systems thinking, who thrives at the intersection of firmware, hardware, and field operations—and has successfully shipped connected embedded products into production.

Requirements

5+ years of experience in embedded systems or firmware engineering
Proven experience shipping hardware products into production
Strong proficiency in C/C++
Experience architecting microcontroller or SOM-based systems
Hands-on PCB design experience (Altium, KiCad, or similar)
Strong debugging skills using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, JTAG/SWD tools
Experience with IoT/cloud-connected devices (MQTT, telemetry, device state sync)
Familiarity with communication protocols (BLE, LTE, Wi-Fi, LoRa, etc.)
Experience with power management and low-power system design

Nice To Haves

Builder-operator mindset with strong ownership over shipped embedded systems
Thrives in ambiguity and fast-paced startup environments
Strong balance of theoretical knowledge and hands-on execution
Experience working on real-world, field-deployed hardware systems
Comfortable working cross-functionally across hardware, software, and operations
Python or scripting a plus

Responsibilities

Own end-to-end embedded system architecture: component selection, interfaces, validation, and documentation
Evaluate and implement microcontroller or SOM-based platforms to replace Raspberry Pi systems
Define scalable, production-ready system architecture aligned with reliability and performance goals
Balance trade-oﬀs across performance, cost, manufacturability, and maintainability
Develop embedded firmware in C/C++ for sensing, actuation, communications, and system control
Implement telemetry, logging, and error-handling systems to monitor real-world performance
Design state management and data structures for resilient, fault-tolerant systems
Support OTA updates, device lifecycle management, and system diagnostics
Design and prototype custom PCBs, power systems, and sensor integrations
Validate systems across environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, vibration, outdoor use)
Define and execute structured validation plans, including lifecycle and stress testing
Ensure systems are optimized for durability, serviceability, and long-term deployment
Partner with Production and Field Operations teams to incorporate real-world feedback
Support debugging and root cause analysis during pilot deployments and field issues
Collaborate with vendors and contract manufacturers to ensure quality and design integrity
Work closely with Product, Mechanical, Electrical, and Software teams
Create clear documentation for installation, troubleshooting, and repair workflows
Establish repeatable processes for testing, data collection, and configuration management
Define success metrics and data strategies to evaluate system reliability and performance