PCB & Embedded Systems Engineer

Ranchflow; Virginia; On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental & Vision

FSA

Paid time off

9 public holidays

401(k)

Life & AD&D

Educational funds

Job summary

Ranchflow AI is seeking a PCB & Embedded Systems Engineer to design and improve electronics powering cattle collars and supporting equipment. You will work across hardware design, embedded development, testing, and production with a focus on reliability, energy efficiency, and field performance.

Responsibilities include schematic/PCB work, component adaptation, board bring-up, firmware development in C/C++, and collaboration with mechanical/manufacturing teams to ensure rugged operation in farm

Qualifications

• Degree in electrical/electronics/computer engineering or equivalent experience.
• Experience designing schematics and PCB layouts (Altium or KiCad).
• Strong understanding of analog and digital circuits and power electronics.
• Proficient in C/C++ for embedded firmware development.
• Familiar with interfaces: I2C, SPI, UART, ADCs.
• Hands-on board bring-up and test with scopes, meters, and analyzers.
• Ability to document, version control, test, and debug methodically.

Responsibilities

• Design and improve schematics and PCB layouts for collars and equipment.
• Adapt hardware/firmware for new components and form factors.
• Integrate microcontrollers, GNSS, sensors, radios, and stimulus circuitry.
• Design battery and solar power systems, including charging and regulation.
• Develop and debug embedded firmware for positioning and collar operation.
• Ensure safe operation with watchdogs and fault handling.
• Prototype bring-up and troubleshooting with test equipment.
• Collaborate with mechanical and manufacturing teams for reliability.
• Maintain BOMs, docs, and firmware repositories.

Skills

Embedded C/C++

Microcontrollers

Analog circuits

Power electronics

I2C/SPI/UART

PCB bring-up

Oscilloscopes

Multimeters

Logic analyzers

Documentation

Version control

Education

Electrical/Electronics/Computer engineering degree or equivalent

Tools

Altium

KiCad

Job description

Location: Halifax, Canada

About Ranchflow

Ranchflow builds AI-powered livestock monitoring and virtual fencing for ranchers. Solar-powered GPS smart collars track location, monitor animal health, and use audio cues to keep cattle within virtual boundaries drawn in the Ranchflow app. There are no posts, wires, or fence maintenance. Alongside the collars, the Ranchflow Ranch Management Platform gives producers one place for records, grazing plans, and day-to-day operations.

Founded by ranchers and technologists, Ranchflow turns years of field observation into AI insights that help producers catch illness early, run rotational grazing easily, and raise healthier herds. Ranchflow is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas with offices in Canada. Learn more at www.ranchflow.ai.

Ranchflow is part of the Soilworks Natural Capital portfolio.

The Role

We’re looking for a PCB & Embedded Systems Engineer to develop and improve the electronics that power our collars and supporting equipment. You’ll work across hardware design, embedded development, testing, and production, with a focus on reliability, energy efficiency, and performance in demanding farm environments.

What you’ll do

• Design and improve schematics and PCB layouts for virtual fencing collars and supporting equipment.
• Adapt existing hardware and firmware to new components, board layouts, and collar form factors.
• Integrate microcontrollers, GNSS modules, sensors, wireless radios, and audio and electrical stimulus circuitry.
• Design battery and solar power systems, including charging, protection, voltage regulation, and power monitoring.
• Develop and debug embedded firmware for positioning, virtual boundary detection, sensors, communications, and collar operation.
• Implement and validate controlled stimulus output, safety limits, watchdogs, and defined device behaviour during low‑battery, positioning, connectivity, or other faults.
• Bring up prototype boards and troubleshoot hardware and firmware issues using electronic test equipment.
• Measure and optimize power consumption across operating modes to improve battery life.
• Work with mechanical teams to address enclosure integration, moisture, temperature, vibration, and field reliability.
• Select components and maintain bills of materials, design documentation, firmware repositories, and manufacturing files.
• Work with external manufacturers to review designs, resolve fabrication and assembly issues, and support production.
• Develop test procedures and fixtures to verify board functionality and quality before deployment.

What you’ll bring

• A degree in electrical, electronics, or computer engineering, or equivalent relevant experience.
• Experience designing schematics and PCB layouts using Altium, KiCad, or equivalent tools.
• A solid understanding of analog and digital circuits, microcontrollers, and power electronics.
• Embedded programming experience in C or C++.
• Familiarity with interfaces such as I²C, SPI, UART, and ADCs.
• Hands‑on experience with board bring‑up, oscilloscopes, multimeters, and logic analyzers.
• An understanding of watchdogs, fault handling, and reliable embedded device operation.
• An organized approach to documentation, version control, testing, and debugging.
• The ability to take ownership of technical problems and work closely with hardware, software, mechanical, and manufacturing partners.

Nice to have

• Experience with ESP32‑based systems, GPS/GNSS modules, LoRa radios, LTE or other IoT platforms.
• Experience with lithium‑ion batteries, solar charging, and low‑power hardware and firmware.
• Familiarity with RTOS‑based firmware, state machines, and real‑time operation.
• Experience with cellular or satellite IoT modules and their power requirements.
• Familiarity with RF layout, antenna integration, and EMC considerations.
• Experience implementing firmware updates and device diagnostics.
• Experience testing electronics for temperature extremes, moisture, vibration, and mechanical shock.
• Experience taking electronics from prototypes into manufacturing and production testing.

• Premier Health Insurance plan with $0 deductible and $0 co‑pay
• Dental and vision insurance plans
• Flexible spending account options
• Open Paid Time Off Policy plus nine paid public holidays
• Participation in our 401(k) savings plan
• Company‑paid Life and AD&D coverage
• Educational materials and expenses to support related development

About Soilworks Natural Capital:

Ranchflow AI is proud to be a portfolio company of Soilworks Natural Capital, a private equity fund that invests in, incubates, and acquires companies to help accelerate the Regenerative Agriculture movement. Soilworks is on a mission to prove regenerative grazing is the most profitable way to ranch.

Based in San Antonio, TX, Soilworks portfolio companies include Range Ward, Powerflex Supply, Cream Co., Grazing Lands, and Grassroots Carbon.

*No visa sponsorship is available for this position*