Senior Mechatronics Engineer

We are looking for a Senior Mechatronics Engineer who can bridge hardware and software — someone who's just as comfortable speccing a PCB as they are writing firmware or integrating sensors. You'll work directly with the founders to design and build the full system from the ground up. This is a central role on a small team. You'll have real ownership, real impact, and get to see your work deployed in the real world.

*Note: this is an onsite role that requires 4-5 days in the office in NYC (Midtown). We are not considering any sort of relocation at this time.*

What Are We Trying to Solve?

We’re building an open-source system to automate physical inventory—combining hardware and software to handle things like storage, retrieval, and real-time tracking.

* The Problem: Managing physical inventory is messy. Manual processes are slow, error-prone, and don’t scale well. It's hard to know what you have, where it is, or how much space it's taking up.

* What We’re Doing: We’re developing a localized AS/RS system that captures weight, dimensions, and location data every time something moves. We're designing it to be flexible and open so others can adapt, improve, and deploy it across all kinds of environments—not just warehouses with big budgets. The goal is accurate, real-time visibility into physical inventory, made as accessible as possible.

What you’ll be doing

* Design, develop, and integrate embedded systems — hardware and firmware — for our AS/RS platform

* Select and integrate microcontrollers, actuators, sensors (weight, ToF, encoders), and other electronic components

* Write, test, and debug firmware in C/C++, Python, or Rust; optimize for performance and reliability on resource-constrained hardware

* Design and analyze schematics and PCB layouts using tools like KiCAD, Altium, or Eagle

* Implement and tune motion control systems for storage and retrieval mechanisms (stepper/servo motors, linear actuators)

* Develop and execute test plans including unit tests, integration tests, and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing

* Collaborate closely with the founding team across electrical, mechanical, and software disciplines

* Create and maintain design documentation including system architecture, schematics, and firmware specs

* Contribute to the open-source codebase and help define standards for others to build on

What We're Looking For

* 3+ years of experience in mechatronics, embedded systems, or a closely related field

* Hands-on experience designing and building electromechanical systems — motors, actuators, sensors, mechanical assemblies

* Proficiency in embedded firmware development (C, C++, or Python); Rust is a plus

* Experience with PCB design tools (KiCAD, Altium, Eagle, or OrCAD)

* Strong understanding of microcontroller architectures (ARM Cortex or similar)

* Familiarity with communication protocols: UART, SPI, I2C, CAN, Ethernet, Modbus

* Hands-on debugging experience with oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, multimeters, and JTAG/SWD debuggers

* Ability to read component datasheets and implement drivers from scratch

* Experience with industrial sensors (weight cells, ToF, encoders, proximity)

* Experience with Yocto/Buildroot or embedded Linux is a strong plus

* Robotics, automation, or AS/RS system experience is a strong plus

* A builder mindset — you're most comfortable when you're making something real

Practical Details

* Salary Range: $110-$160k + equity

* Fully covered health, dental, and vision insurance

* Flexible PTO