Director of Electrical & Controls Engineering - Remote

Burnbot, Inc.; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 215,000; Full time

Job summary

BurnBot is seeking a senior electrical engineering leader in South San Francisco to guide a team of electrical and controls engineers. You will shape the electrical architecture across our fleet, including power distribution, batteries, harnessing, PCBA, sensors, and communications, while staying close to hardware to catch issues early.

You will own machine controls (embedded/PLC software, CAN networks, actuators) and safety systems, establishing robust fault handling and safe states.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in electrical engineering or controls, including experience leading engineers.
• Depth in vehicle or machine electrical systems: power distribution, batteries, harness design, and connectors that survive the field.
• Embedded or PLC controls experience, and fluency with CAN or similar industrial buses.
• A working understanding of functional safety and how to design for it.
• Hands-on debug ability. You can still find the fault with a scope and a multimeter.
• Judgment about make-versus-buy, cost, and schedule — and the willingness to defend it.
• B.S. in electrical engineering or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Hire, mentor, and lead a team of electrical and controls engineers.
• Own electrical architecture across the fleet: power, batteries, harnessing, PCBA, sensors, and comms.
• Oversee machine controls: embedded/PLC software, CAN networks, actuator control, safety interlocks.
• Define and validate safety systems (E-stops, fault handling, safe states).
• Improve field reliability: connectors, EMC, vibration, heat, and field failure reduction.
• Manage suppliers and build partners; defend schedule commitments with the rest of engineering.

Skills

Leadership

Electrical systems

Embedded/PLC controls

CAN bus

Functional safety

Debugging

Make-vs-buy judgment

Education

B.S. in electrical engineering

Job description

BurnBot is seeking a senior electrical engineering leader in South San Francisco to guide a team of electrical and controls engineers. You will shape the electrical architecture across our fleet, including power distribution, batteries, harnessing, PCBA, sensors, and communications, while staying close to hardware to catch issues early.

You will own machine controls (embedded/PLC software, CAN networks, actuators) and safety systems, establishing robust fault handling and safe states.