Founding Hardware Engineer

Founding Hardware Engineer

Full-time On-site San Francisco CA

$150K - $220K

We are looking for a Founding Hardware Engineer with 7 years of experience to own and build Navi AIs next-generation cockpit device in-house - from PCB design through embedded firmware to fleet deployment. Youll be the first dedicated hardware hire at a seed-stage company already deployed at 10 leading US flight schools and the US Air Force building the sensor device that captures everything a pilot sees and hears. This role grows into hardware leadership as the company scales so we need someone who can ship today and build a team tomorrow. If youre a hands-on tinkerer who has taken a sensor/IoT product from zero to production and thrives in high-autonomy high-velocity environments this is your role.

What will you be doing

• Designing and building the hardware device in-house - PCB design embedded firmware component selection and supplier management - to replace current off-the-shelf integrations
• Writing embedded firmware so device components communicate seamlessly (Bluetooth Starlink audio capture) and streaming high-fidelity telemetry and audio data to the cloud
• Owning the full hardware vertical: sourcing suppliers managing contractors making architecture and material decisions and shipping units to flight schools at scale
• Collaborating cross-functionally with the CTO and software/ML engineers to ensure the device captures exactly what the intelligence layer needs for automated flight debriefs
• Shaping the long-term hardware strategy and eventually hiring and leading a hardware team as the company grows toward Series A

Seniority

5 - 10 years of experience in embedded systems/firmware engineering shipping physical hardware products

Work experience

Has shipped a sensor/IoT hardware product end- to- end (not just prototyped)

Experience at a startup or 0- to- 1 environment

Background in aviation space or defense hardware (e. g. SpaceX Skydio avionics companies)

Embedded C/C Python PCB Design Bluetooth Wi-Fi Cellular RTOS Embedded Linux Starlink Cursor Claude Code AI-assisted development tools

Education

BS/MS in EE CE or related field from accredited university

Degree from top engineering school (e. g. MIT Stanford)

Hard skills

PCB design and embedded firmware (C/C) hands- on expertise

Wireless comms experience (Bluetooth cellular Wi- Fi)

Actively uses AI tools (Cursor Claude Code) in workflow

Soft skills

Demonstrates entrepreneurial ownership - sources suppliers debates architecture ships without being told

Miscellaneous

Must be based in SF and work on- site 5 days/week