Senior Hardware Engineer

Orasio; Paris; On-site; EUR 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Flexible hybrid work model

Collaboration with skilled teams

State-of-the-art AI solutions

Job summary

Orasio is seeking an experienced hardware engineer to design on-premise compute systems for their AI solutions in Paris. This role involves defining architecture, managing OEM relationships, and improving edge devices under technical constraints. Candidates should have extensive experience in hardware engineering and be fluent in French and English.

The position offers a flexible remote/in-office work model and the opportunity to work on state-of-the-art AI technology in defense and public security sectors.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of hardware engineering experience with a genuine hardware culture.
• Strong fundamentals in GPU/edge compute platforms and thermal engineering.
• Experience leading OEM/ODM relationships end to end.

Responsibilities

• Define the architecture of rack-mount AI compute platforms.
• Build and maintain Bills of Materials for hardware SKUs.
• Lead hardware development phases and validate designs.

Skills

Hardware engineering experience

GPU/edge compute platforms

Thermal/airflow engineering

Power distribution

OEM/ODM relationships

Fluency in French

Fluency in English

Education

7+ years in hardware engineering

Tools

NVIDIA Jetson modules

PCB design

Job description

The Role

Orasio's products run where the cameras are. That means we don't ship to a cloud: we ship to police stations, military sites, transport hubs, and industrial facilities, often in constrained or fully air-gapped environments. Every deployment relies on hardware we design, source, or assemble: GPU-accelerated edge devices in the field, and on-premise compute infrastructure built to ingest, process, and store hundreds of video streams 24/7.

• Design our on-premise compute infrastructure. Self-contained, isolated "mini data centers" combining GPU compute, networking, and storage in rack-mount form factors, sized for deployments that range from a few cameras to several hundred.
• Own our OEM and supplier relationships. Leading technical discussions with manufacturers and integrators, whether we're ordering off-the-shelf hardware at scale or co‑designing custom systems branded as Orasio.
• Improve our edge devices. Our current edge AI box (Jetson Orin Nano‑based, IP67‑rated, fanless) is sourced off‑the‑shelf and is thermally constrained for our AI workloads. You'll either qualify a better off‑the‑shelf platform or drive the design of a successor with better thermal headroom while keeping the same ruggedness and deployment envelope.

You’ll work hand‑in‑hand with our Platform and ML engineers (who define compute/throughput requirements), our Forward Deployed Engineers (who install and maintain systems in the field), and our commercial team (who shape the catalog and price points). Reporting directly to the CTO, this role combines hands‑on hardware design with the structuring of Orasio’s hardware roadmap, a foundational capability for a company whose product physically lives on customer premises.

Responsibilities

• On‑premise compute systems design. Define the architecture of our rack‑mount AI compute platforms: GPU/accelerator selection, power distribution, networking (10/25/100 GbE), storage (RAID arrays for long‑retention video archives), thermal and acoustic envelope, mechanical enclosure, and cable management.
• Bill of Materials, sourcing, and OEM management. Build and maintain BoMs across our hardware SKUs. Lead technical conversations with OEMs, ODMs, and integrators in Europe and beyond, from off‑the‑shelf bulk orders to custom‑branded enclosures and carrier boards.
• Lead hardware development through EVT >> DVT >> PVT. Define hypotheses, run validation cycles, and gate each phase with documented sign‑off criteria. Lock the BOM at PVT.
• Edge device hardware. Improve our current edge AI box. Benchmark alternative ruggedized platforms, or drive a custom design (mechanical, thermal, PCB carrier for NVIDIA Jetson modules, I/O selection) with manufacturing partners. Pay particular attention to thermal dissipation under sustained AI inference as our workloads push these devices well beyond typical IP camera use cases.
• Thermal & power engineering. Run airflow, thermal, and power budget analyses for both edge and rack‑mount systems. Validate designs against real workloads, ambient conditions, and altitude/dust constraints encountered in the field.
• Identify and mitigate architecture risks. Network SPOFs, insufficient thermal margins, vendor lock‑in, and component obsolescence (a real concern for multi‑year on‑premise support contracts).
• Certifications and compliance. Drive the path to CE / FCC and other relevant certifications (EMC, safety, IP ratings, transport/rail standards where applicable) in collaboration with test labs and certified manufacturers.
• Field‑ready hardware. Design for what our Forward Deployed Engineers and integrators actually experience: serviceability, spare parts, hot‑swap where it matters, clear labeling, sane cabling, and documentation that lets a third‑party integrator deploy autonomously.
• Hardware/software co‑design. Work with our software, pipeline, and ML teams to make sure hardware choices match the realities of GStreamer pipelines, GPU memory budgets, and storage I/O patterns — and feed back constraints early when they affect product scope.
• Hardware roadmap. Define and own Orasio’s hardware product line and its evolution as we scale across European countries and customer profiles.

Ideal Profile

• 7+ years of hardware engineering experience, with a genuine hardware culture.
• Strong fundamentals in at least two of: GPU/edge compute platforms (NVIDIA Jetson, x86 server GPUs, or equivalent), power distribution and DC systems, thermal/airflow engineering, rack‑mount system integration, PCB carrier or backplane design.
• Track record of leading OEM/ODM relationships end to end: defining requirements, evaluating manufacturers, negotiating BoM and tooling costs, managing NPI, qualifying production samples.
• Comfortable in a 19" rack environment: power (AC/DC, redundancy, PDU sizing), networking hardware, storage servers, and the practicalities of shipping a working appliance.
• Experience with rugged / IP‑rated / fanless designs is a strong plus, especially for outdoor or transport‑grade equipment.
• Pragmatic: prefers a well‑qualified off‑the‑shelf solution to a custom design unless the trade‑off clearly justifies the engineering and supply‑chain cost.
• Hands‑on: comfortable in a lab, with a scope, an IR camera, and a torque driver. Equally comfortable in a spec doc and a supplier call.
• Mission‑driven, autonomous, and thrives in fast‑paced environments with shifting priorities.
• Fluency in French and English.
• Bonus:
• Experience with NVIDIA Jetson modules (Orin Nano / NX / AGX / Thor) and their carrier ecosystem (Connect Tech, Auvidea, Forecr, etc.).
• Experience with certifications (CE, FCC, EN 50121, MIL‑STD‑810, IEC 60068, IP rating procedures).
• Experience designing for on‑premise or air‑gapped deployments, or for the Public sector, Defense, or Internal Security sectors.
• Experience bridging hardware and software organizations (Linux board bring‑up, BSP/JetPack, device tree, firmware)
• Familiarity with video surveillance / VMS hardware ecosystems (cameras, NVRs, switches with PoE budgets).
• Entrepreneurial or early‑stage experience.

What We Offer

• A Paris‑based office with a flexible hybrid remote/in‑office work model
• Stock options to share in the long‑term success of the company
• The opportunity to work on state‑of‑the‑art AI solutions with real‑world applications in defense and public security
• A clear and ambitious mission, grounded in technical excellence and respect for data privacy laws
• A fast‑paced startup atmosphere and collaboration with a highly skilled team.