Founding Electrical Engineer

Clera

• $160K — $200K *
Consumer Technology
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 1-5 years of professional electrical engineering experience, with one product shipped to production.
  • Hands-on PCB design experience using tools like KiCad, Altium, Cadence, or LTSpice.
  • Experience across multiple hardware domains including high-speed digital and power electronics.
  • History of managing client-facing projects from requirements to manufacturing.
  • Ability to collaborate across disciplines such as layout, firmware, and manufacturing.
  • A record of self-initiated hardware projects demonstrating quality design.
  • A proactive mindset focused on improving processes.

Responsibilities

  • Own 2-4 client PCB projects, managing all phases from requirements to manufacturing.
  • Design for diverse applications like motor controllers and high-speed interfaces.
  • Engage directly with customers to gather requirements and provide solutions.
  • Develop internal tools and automation to enhance design efficiency.
  • Collaborate with layout specialists, firmware engineers, and manufacturing partners.

Benefits

  • Health, dental, and vision insurance.
  • Paid time off and holidays.
  • Retirement savings plan with employer matching contributions.
Full Job Description
About the Role

This is a founding engineering role at an early-stage hardware-tech company building AI-powered tools for electronics design. You will own real client PCB projects end-to-end while working side by side with a software and ML team, and your hands-on work will directly shape the products being built to make hardware development dramatically faster.
What You'll Do
  • Own 2-4 client PCB projects simultaneously, from initial requirements through manufacturing.
  • Design across a wide range of domains: motor controllers, compute carriers, RF/antenna systems, battery management, and high-speed interfaces.
  • Work directly with customers to understand their constraints and deliver reliable solutions.
  • Build internal tools and automation to increase team design throughput.
  • Collaborate closely with layout specialists, firmware engineers, and manufacturing partners.
What We're Looking For
  • 1-5 years of professional electrical engineering experience, with at least one product shipped to production.
  • Hands-on PCB design experience using tools such as KiCad, Altium, Cadence, or LTSpice.
  • Breadth across multiple hardware domains including high-speed digital, power electronics, antennas, and BGA fanout.
  • Experience owning client or customer-facing projects from requirements gathering through to manufacturing.
  • Comfort collaborating across disciplines: layout, firmware, and manufacturing.
  • A track record of personal or self-directed hardware projects that demonstrate initiative and design quality.
  • A mindset oriented toward questioning existing processes and finding faster, cheaper, and more reliable approaches.
  • Familiarity with AI-assisted development tools (such as AI coding assistants or LLM-based agents) is a plus.
Compensation & Benefits

Salary: $160,000 - $200,000 USD annually. Visa sponsorship is not available for this role.
Location

On-site in San Francisco, California, USA. Candidates must be based in San Francisco or able to relocate before their start date.

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