Embedded Electrical Engineer
WindBorne Systems · Redwood Shores, CA
Run hardware design, bringup, debug and manufacturing support for flight hardware and ground support systems for a weather balloon constellation. Work across PCB design, firmware and bench testing, building electronics that operate in extreme temperatures under tight weight and power limits.
What you'll do
- Design, prototype, and test PCBs for new flight and ground systems
- Develop firmware for bringup and custom testing of boards
- Troubleshoot issues on existing hardware
- Conduct bench and environmental testing under extreme conditions
- Coordinate PCBA manufacturing for R&D and production
Requirements
- Strong fundamentals in embedded circuit and system design
- Hands-on experience troubleshooting circuit boards and electronic assemblies
- Proficiency reading schematics and datasheets
- Familiarity with embedded firmware development in C/C++
- Familiarity with SPI, I2C, UART
- Experience with PCB layout and design tools such as Altium
- Comfort with oscilloscopes, multimeters, and logic analyzers
Nice to have
- Bachelor's degree or higher in Electrical Engineering or related field
- Interest in RF system development and antenna design
- Deep knowledge of power management circuit design
- Ability to hand solder 0402 components
Benefits
- 401(k)
- Health, Dental, and Vision insurance 100% covered
- Unlimited PTO
- Incentive Stock Option Plan
- Office food and beverages
Skills
Outlined skills are listed as required.
Full original description
Embedded Electrical Engineer Embedded Electrical Engineer apply now WindBorne Systems is supercharging weather models with a unique proprietary data source: a global constellation of next-generation smart weather balloons targeting the most critical atmospheric data. We design, manufacture, and operate our own balloons, using the data they collect to generate otherwise unattainable weather intelligence. Our mission is to eliminate weather uncertainty, and in the process help humanity adapt to climate change, be that predicting hurricanes or speeding the adoption of renewables. We are building a future in which the planet is instrumented by thousands of our microballoons, eliminating gaps in our understanding of the planet and giving people and businesses the information they need to make critical decisions. The founding team of Stanford engineers was named Forbes 2019 30 under 30 and is backed by top investors including Khosla Ventures. WindBorne is looking for an Embedded Electrical Engineer to run hardware design, initial bringup, hardware debug, and manufacturing support of a number of key elements of our flight hardware and ground support systems. We're seeking someone who can jump between PCB design in the morning, debugging firmware in the afternoon, and searching DigiKey at night; someone who finds satisfaction in making things work in theory, in practice, and at scale, and in running through those stages as quickly as PCBA turnaround times permit. This role is for someone who would be unfulfilled designing predictable power supplies or standard microcontroller boards. Instead, you’ll be creating systems that can reliably operate from -70°C to +40°C using components that are entirely unrated for such a task, while counting every gram and milliwatt. We aren't looking for someone who wants to spend weeks designing the theoretically perfect circuit. Rather, we need someone who can quickly ship a design that doesn’t appear to be broken, and who genuinely enjoys spending a day at the bench playing electrical whac-a-mole when something inevitably is. The ideal candidate will understand and contribute to the big picture to ensure effort is directed only where it is most useful, while spending most of the day on the messy details of building the world’s largest balloon constellation. Snapshot of the balloon constellation ON MARCH 31, 2026 Responsibilities Design, prototype, and test PCBs for critical new flight and ground systems Develop firmware for initial bringup of new boards and custom testing of existing boards Troubleshoot and resolve (only the most pressing) issues on existing hardware Conduct comprehensive bench and environmental testing to validate electrical systems under extreme conditions Work closely with mechanical engineers to ensure proper integration on a vehicle with about as many structural PCBs as custom 3D parts Support flight operations with troubleshooting of deployed hardware via realtime telemetry Coordinate PCBA manufacturing for both R&D and production Skills and Qualifications Required Strong fundamentals in embedded circuit and system design Hands-on experience troubleshooting circuit boards and electronic assemblies Proficiency with reading schematics and datasheets Familiarity with embedded firmware development (C/C++) Familiarity with common communication protocols (SPI, I2C, UART) Experience with PCB layout and design tools (we use Altium) Comfort with lab equipment including oscilloscopes, multimeters, and logic analyzers Interest in the underlying physics Being the type of person who enjoys applying increasingly cursed out of the box solutions in order to reduce part count and complexity Nice to have Bachelor's degree or higher in Electrical Engineering or related field Interest in RF system development and antenna design Deep knowledge of power management circuit design Ability to solder 0402 components by hand without wanting to cry Benefits 401(k) Health, Dental, and Vision insurance 100% covered Unlimited PTO Incentive Stock Option Plan Office food and beverages (minimum 2x catered lunches & dinners a week) Salary $120k-$200k** We are considering a range of backgrounds and experience levels for this position and adjust our offers accordingly to be competitive with market rates. Location 1600 Bridge Parkway, Redwood Shores, CA. In person required. The position is in-person. What our hardware looks like Home Products Platform Observations Forecasts Solutions Industries Energy Trading Utilities Resources Blog FAQ Benchmarks API Docs Company Mission Careers Community Launches Contact Sign In WindBorne Systems is based in Redwood Shores, California. Our technology is invented, designed, and manufactured in the USA. © 2026 by WindBorne Systems Legal