SECTION I · THE BRIEF
Brief #21429Updated 20 OCT 2026SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, CALeverSOFTWARE COMPANIES
Employbl Company Profile

Principal Hardware Engineer

Arable Labs, Inc. develops a solar-powered Internet of things (IoT) devices. The Company offers device with advanced sensors to handle real-time continuous visibility, harvest timing, in-field crop monitoring, and…

Location
San Francisco Bay area, CA
Company size
10–100
Posted
2d ago
Via
Lever
Section II · Full ProfileFree with an account
  • 01Comp band & equity packageLocked
  • 02Seniority & experience requirementsLocked
  • 03Interview process & rubricLocked
  • 04Headcount & which departments are hiringLocked
  • 05Growth trajectory in this roleLocked
  • 06Offer & decision timelineLocked

No card · 2 minutes · the funding and stack behind this role

Principal Hardware Engineer

Arable· San Francisco Bay areaView company profile


Job title
Principal Hardware Engineer
Job location
San Francisco Bay area
Job description

About Arable

At Arable, our goal is to connect the world’s farms to help optimize the global food system. As we work to feed a growing population while reducing our impact on natural resources, we believe a critical part of the solution is digitizing the analog world with high-fidelity data that helps food producers optimize their operations.

Our work helps improve the lives of farmers and contributes to securing the global food supply for decades to come.

Examples of Our Work:

  • Helping farmers maximize ROI through precision irrigation and data-driven water management.

  • Supporting leading agricultural and technology partners in meeting sustainability and climate resilience goals.

  • Equipping growers with insights to improve decision-making, reduce waste, and enhance yields across diverse cropping systems.

The Role

We are seeking an experienced, hands-on hardware engineer to drive the development of our hardware ecosystem, including the Arable Mark 3 and future sensing platforms.

This role centers on individual technical contribution and ownership across the hardware product lifecycle—from design and prototyping through production and field performance. You will work directly on engineering challenges while providing technical leadership, mentoring colleagues, and collaborating closely with internal teams and external partners.

This is an opportunity for an engineer who enjoys staying close to the work while helping shape the technical direction of sensing products used by growers around the world.

What You Will Do
  • Drive hardware development across the full product lifecycle, from concept to production.

  • Coordinate domestic and offshore manufacturing operations.

  • Review and validate ODM designs to meet Arable’s quality standards.

  • Develop technical documentation for designs, testing, and support.

  • Lead hands-on prototyping of new hardware products and features.

  • Work with QA teams on product validation and testing.

  • Collaborate with product management, software, operations, and customer success.

  • Manage key vendor relationships and guide component selection.

  • Troubleshoot hardware issues and coordinate bug tracking and resolution.

  • Support manufacturing test fixtures and processes.

  • Provide technical leadership and mentorship, influence technology direction, and strengthen the team’s engineering capabilities.

Experience and Skills

Required

  • Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or a related field.

  • 6+ years of hardware engineering experience spanning the full PCB design lifecycle.

  • Proficiency with schematic capture, PCB layout, board bring-up, and lab equipment.

  • Knowledge of regulatory testing, including FCC and CE, and new product introduction (NPI) processes.

  • Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.

  • A self-directed approach and the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment.

  • Excellent communication and organizational skills.

  • Preferred

    • Advanced technical degree.

    • 8+ years of experience bringing multiple hardware products to mass production.

    • Experience managing or collaborating with offshore teams.

    • Knowledge of C programming for embedded systems.

    • Experience with wireless product design (WiFi, BLE, cellular) and/or RTOS.

    • Background in agricultural or environmental sensor technology.

    • Experience leading engineering initiatives, developing processes, or mentoring engineers.

    • Expertise in low-power system design, particularly for solar-powered and battery-powered devices.

Qualities for Success
  • Passion for Sustainability: Care deeply about global food systems and environmental impact.

  • Startup Mindset: Thrive in a fast-paced environment and take ownership across multiple responsibilities.

  • Technical Leadership: Lead through engineering expertise, sound judgment, and ownership of results.

  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Communicate effectively and build productive relationships across teams.

  • Resourcefulness: Develop cost-effective solutions and troubleshoot real-world field challenges.

  • Adaptability: Stay current with emerging technologies and navigate new challenges.

  • Mentorship: Share knowledge and help elevate the work of colleagues and partners.

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Arable headquarters

San Francisco, CA

Company size

10–100 employees

Founded

2014

Total raised

$72,835,944

View company profile ↗

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Funding rounds