Principal Hardware Engineer / Director of Hardware - Arable

Job Title: Principal Hardware Engineer / Director of Hardware
Job Location: San Francisco Bay area
Job Listing URL: https://jobs.lever.co/arable/742dcf86-760a-45ed-beb7-7606ee1cf70f
Job Description: About Arable

At Arable, our mission is to connect all the world’s farms and provide the highest-quality data to power predictive analytics, optimizing the global food system. The need to rethink how we feed an ever-growing population and manage our natural resources has never been greater. We believe the heart of the solution lies in digitizing the analog world with high-fidelity data to help food producers optimize their operations. If successful, our work will enhance the lives of farmers, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, and make a significant contribution to securing the global food supply for decades to come.

Examples of our work:

- Helping farmers in Nebraska manage water more efficiently and sustainably
- Building agricultural climate data networks in Africa to help farmers adapt to climate change.
- Providing California farmers with tools to save water, reduce risk, and minimize waste

The Role:

We are seeking a senior hardware leader to spearhead the development of our hardware ecosystem, including the Arable Mark 3 and future sensing platforms.

This pivotal role will shape the future of our sensing platforms while ensuring exceptional agricultural technology solutions worldwide.
What You Will Do
Lead hardware engineering throughout 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
What you bring:
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

Preferred
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
Qualities for Success
Passion for Sustainability: Care deeply about global food systems and environmental impact
Startup Mindset: Thrive in fast-paced environments with multiple responsibilities
Technical Leadership: Ownership of projects and influence on technology roadmap
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Effective communication across different teams
Resourcefulness: Design cost-effective solutions and troubleshoot in field
Adaptability: Stay current with emerging technologies and navigate new challenges
Leadership Potential: Ability to inspire, mentor, and elevate peers and partners