Head of Hardware Engineering & Manufacturing

Bison; Des Moines (IA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Insurance benefits

Flexible time off

Job summary

InnerPlant in Des Moines, IA, is seeking a Director of Hardware Engineering & Manufacturing to lead hardware design, prototyping, manufacturing, and field deployment for the CropVoice platform. You will own the hardware product lifecycle and build a high-performing team across optics, electronics, embedded systems, and manufacturing.

You will establish scalable manufacturing, partner with contract manufacturers, and drive reliability, testing, and cost optimization while aligning hardware with

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 8+ years of relevant engineering experience, with significant experience leading hardware product development; 3+ years of engineering leadership or management experience.
• Demonstrated experience taking complex hardware products from prototype through production and into the field, including managing external engineering, manufacturing, and technology partners.
• Experience with electronics, embedded systems, sensors, optics, instrumentation, or related technologies.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes and design-for-manufacturing principles, including experience working with contract manufacturers and external suppliers.
• Experience developing verification, validation, reliability, and test strategies.
• Strong project and program management capabilities with a track record of meeting deadlines and excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to recruit, develop, and lead high-performing engineering teams.
• Willingness to work hands-on and dive deeply into technical problems when needed.
• Experience developing sensing, imaging, optical, agricultural, industrial, automotive, robotics, or other field-deployed hardware, including for harsh or variable environmental conditions (preferred).
• Experience in agriculture, ag technology, or precision agriculture, and in a startup or rapidly scaling technology company (preferred).

Responsibilities

• Lead hardware product design and development, including: Owning the hardware engineering roadmap and system architecture for CropVoice's optical, electrical, embedded, mechanical, and data-acquisition systems.
• Leading development from concept and rapid prototyping through design verification, validation, production, and field deployment.
• Overseeing design of hardware that meets product and field requirements and operates reliably through heat, cold, moisture, dust, vibration, variable power conditions, long operating hours, and limited opportunities for maintenance.
• Overseeing equipment operation to ensure the efficiency and reliability of CropVoice hardware and troubleshoot when needed; and
• Using field data and customer feedback to continuously improve product performance.

Skills

Hardware design

Leadership

Program management

Sensing/Optics

Manufacturing

Embedded systems

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Mechanical/Systems Engineering

Tools

Altium

Job description

InnerPlant in Des Moines, IA, is seeking a Director of Hardware Engineering & Manufacturing to lead hardware design, prototyping, manufacturing, and field deployment for the CropVoice platform. You will own the hardware product lifecycle and build a high-performing team across optics, electronics, embedded systems, and manufacturing.

You will establish scalable manufacturing, partner with contract manufacturers, and drive reliability, testing, and cost optimization while aligning hardware with