Senior Electrical Engineer

Job description

About Tacit We are an early-stage, deep tech startup based in San Francisco, developing innovative hardware that rethinks human-computer interaction. We are backed by General Catalyst, Khosla Ventures, and Greylock Partners, with a founding team from Stanford, BrainGate, Oculus, and Tesla. While we can’t reveal too much just yet, our team is tackling cutting-edge engineering challenges to bring revolutionary products to life. ABOUT THE ROLE We’re looking for a Senior Electrical Engineer to help architect, design, and ship next-generation neurotech hardware products. As a key member of our growing hardware team, you will own major portions of the electrical system from early architecture through production and play a critical role in bringing complex consumer electronics to life. WHAT YOU'LL DO - Electrical System Architecture & Product Development - Lead electrical architecture and board-level design for mixed-signal consumer hardware systems from concept through production. - Own schematic design and guide development through EVT, DVT, PVT, and mass production. - Define system partitioning, interfaces, and component selection across compute, sensors, connectivity, and power subsystems. - Drive rigorous design reviews and help establish strong electrical design and manufacturing standards. - Collaborate closely with mechanical, firmware, and software teams to optimize performance, size, thermal behavior, and reliability. - Operate effectively in a startup environment where engineers own large portions of the hardware stack. - High-Speed & High-Density Hardware Design - Design high-density, multi-layer PCBAs using HDI techniques, fine-pitch BGAs, and controlled-impedance routing. - Implement high-speed digital interfaces such as USB, Quad-SPI, MIPI, CSI/DSI, DDR, or similar buses. - Design analog and mixed-signal circuits including amplifiers, filters, sensor interfaces, and ADC/DAC connections. - Optimize PCB layout for signal integrity, power integrity, and low-noise performance. - Power Electronics & Battery Systems - Define system-level power architecture for battery-powered consumer and wearable devices. - Design and integrate high-efficiency DC-DC converters (buck, boost, and related architectures). - Optimize power consumption, battery runtime, and quiescent current across active and standby modes. - Design and integrate battery charging and power management solutions for Li-ion/Li-poly systems. - Consider thermal constraints and power density in compact or sealed wearable devices. - Validation, Bring-Up & Debug - Lead board bring-up and electrical debugging across analog, digital, and power domains. - Use advanced lab instrumentation including oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, spectrum analyzers, and high-speed probes. - Define and execute validation plans including signal integrity, power integrity, and environmental testing. - Perform root-cause analysis and resolve hardware issues discovered during development or production. - Manufacturing & Production (DFM / DFT) - Design hardware with strong Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Test (DFT) principles. - Support EVT, DVT, and PVT builds and ramp hardware to mass production. - Work with contract manufacturers and suppliers to resolve manufacturing and yield issues. - Develop or support manufacturing test infrastructure, including programming, calibration, and test fixtures. REQUIREMENTS - 5+ years of experience in electrical or hardware engineering. - Experience shipping at least one consumer electronics product, preferably compact or wearable devices.. - Strong experience designing high-density, multi-layer PCBs with controlled impedance and fine-pitch components. - Solid understanding of analog and mixed-signal circuit design. - Experience implementing system power architecture for battery-powered products. - Experience designing or integrating DC-DC converters and power management circuits. - Experience with high-speed interfaces such as USB, Quad-SPI, MIPI, DDR, or similar. - Strong hands-on experience with board bring-up, debugging, and lab validation. - Understanding of signal integrity and power integrity in high-density electronic systems. - Experience working cross-functionally in fast-paced product development environments. STRONG CANDIDATES MAY HAVE - Experience designing wearable or body-worn devices with tight power, size, and thermal constraints. - Strong experience with Altium Designer or equivalent PCB tools. - Experience supporting EVT, DVT, and PVT builds and ramping hardware to mass production. - Experience designing manufacturing test fixtures or automated test systems. - Familiarity with thermal analysis for compact electronics. - Experience with embedded firmware development (C/C++). - Experience with Python for lab automation or instrumentation control. - Familiarity with EMI/EMC pre-compliance testing and mitigation. - Deeper power electronics experience including converter loss analysis and control loop analysis and compensation design COMPENSATION RANGE $150,000 - $200,000/year BENEFITS - Competitive equity package - Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance - Company size: 20-30 people - Unlimited PTO - Visa sponsorship - 4% 401k matching