Embedded Systems Engineer

Terranova; Berkeley (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Terranova is building intelligent robotic systems to terraform the Earth, assembling a world-class, hands-on engineering team in Berkeley. We seek a firmware/hardware engineer to take ideas from schematic to prototype to production—developing embedded firmware for STM32/ARM Cortex-M, designing PCBs in KiCad/Altium, and integrating sensors, radios, and power with Go/TypeScript tooling and cloud components.

You will own low-latency interfaces, Yocto/OpenEmbedded builds, DFM/DFT, and field support

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• Experience in embedded firmware development for ARM Cortex-M MCUs.
• Knowledge of PCB design with KiCad or Altium.
• Familiarity with Yocto/OpenEmbedded Linux build systems.
• Proficiency in Go and TypeScript for tooling and front-end work.

Responsibilities

• Develop and debug embedded firmware in C/C++ with FreeRTOS for STM32 or similar ARM Cortex-M systems.
• Design and review multilayer mixed-signal schematics / PCBs in Altium Designer.
• Integrate sensors, radios, and power electronics with reliable interfaces.
• Build and maintain Yocto Linux images for embedded gateways and edge compute systems.
• Contribute to backend services and tooling in Go and TypeScript, including SQL data layers and Vue/React frontends.
• Deploy and operate cloud infrastructure on Google Cloud andCloudflare Workers.
• Characterize and optimize power budgets, EMI, and manufacturability.
• Bring-up, test, and validate hardware prototypes through DFM/DFT cycles.
• Support system integration and field debugging of deployed robotic platforms.
• Thrive at the pace of early-stage startup life.

Skills

Embedded firmware development

Low-power hardware design

Multilayer PCB design

Sensor integration

Go & TypeScript development

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

KiCad

Altium Designer

Yocto/OpenEmbedded

Go

TypeScript

SQL

Vue/React

Google Cloud / Cloudflare

Job description

Backed by leading climate and American dynamism investors, Terranova builds intelligent

robotic systems to terraform the Earth itself - lifting land, restoring wetlands, and protecting

critical infrastructure from floods and sea-level rise. Our mission is to preserve the built

environment, create new habitats, and usher in an era of abundance. Our work supports climate

resilience, disaster recovery, and defense across the United States and beyond.

We’re assembling a world-class team that wants to work on something real, physical, and

civilization-scale. If you want your work to reshape the world (literally), this is the place to do it.

What to Expect

We are looking for a hands-on engineer who can take embedded ideas from schematic to prototype to production. You'll work on low-level firmware for microcontrollers, efficient peripheral interfacing, power-aware circuit design, radio frequency communication, and the software stack and autopilot system that ties it all together; bridging code and hardware to make our systems come alive in the field.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and debug embedded firmware in C/C++ with FreeRTOS for STM32 or similar ARM Cortex-M systems.
• Design and review multilayer mixed-signal schematics / PCBs in Altium Designer.
• Integrate sensors, radios, and power electronics with reliable, low-latency interfaces (I²C, SPI, UART, CAN, SDIO).
• Design and integrate long-range low-power wireless systems (XBee, LoRa) into deployed platforms.
• Build and maintain Yocto Linux images for embedded gateways and edge compute systems.
• Contribute to backend services and tooling in Go and TypeScript, including SQL data layers and Vue/React frontends.
• Deploy and operate cloud infrastructure on Google Cloud and Cloudflare's serverless platform.
• Characterize and optimize power budgets, EMI performance, and manufacturability.
• Bring-up, test, and validate hardware prototypes through DFM/DFT cycles.
• Support system integration and field debugging of deployed robotic platforms.
• Thrive at the pace and intensity of early-stage startup life, including long days, 6-day workweeks, and extended field hours.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Electrical Engineering or a related field.
• U.S. permanent residency.

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Multilayer mixed-signal PCB design in KiCad or Altium
• ARM microcontroller firmware (STM32/ESP32/RP2040) in C/C++ with FreeRTOS or Zephyr
• RF and long-range low-power wireless systems (XBee, LoRa)
• Yocto or OpenEmbedded Linux build systems
• Go and TypeScript application development
• SQL and relational data modeling
• Vue and/or React frontend development
• Google Cloud and Cloudflare serverless (Workers, Durable Objects, R2)
• Working knowledge of internet fundamentals, including DNS
• SWD/JTAG, logic analyzers (e.g., Saleae), and oscilloscopes
• OTA update systems and bootloaders
• DFM/DFT methodologies
• Has worked on and owned entire large, complex robotic systems: multiple sensors, motors, interfaces, and solid PCB design.
• Has a maker background: loves building things and finds the work genuinely fun. Would like candidates with a portfolio.