Product Hardware Engineer

Alpaca Research; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Alpaca Research in Cambridge, MA is building a new class of consumer AI hardware and software to power desk-top AI applications. We seek a hardware engineer to take ideas to working consumer devices, collaborating across electrical engineering, computer systems, and industrial design.

You will own the hardware stack, design PCBs, work on power delivery, thermals, and enclosures, and rapidly prototype using fabrication methods. Passion for hands-on hardware and fast iteration is essential.

Qualifications

• Experience with circuit design and PCB layout.
• Prototyping hardware and bring-up on Linux.
• Ability to integrate compute, memory, storage, and networking.
• Familiarity with 3D CAD for enclosure and mechanical design.
• Hands-on hardware development from idea to working prototype.

Responsibilities

• Own the hardware stack from concept to prototypes.
• Develop PCBs, power delivery, wiring, and custom electronics.
• Integrate compute, memory, storage, and firmware into hardware.
• Design enclosures and mechanical layouts with cooling considerations.
• Prototype rapidly using 3D printing, CNC, and other fabrication methods.
• Prepare designs for cost, reliability, and manufacturability.

Skills

PCB design

Hardware bring-up

Linux on hardware

System integration

3D CAD familiarity

Scripting (Python/C)

Tools

KiCad

Altium

Fusion 360

SolidWorks

Onshape

Job description

Who we are

Today, AI is something you rent. Alpaca is building the full stack of hardware, software, models, and applications together to make it something you own.

We are developing a new computer architecture that breaks the economics keeping frontier models trapped in datacenters. On top of that, we're building a platform of models, applications, and services that give that hardware meaning.

Personal AI is moving from the datacenter to the desk, and we are driving that change.

Our team is based in Cambridge, MA.

About the role

We want to make powerful AI as accessible as the personal computer. To do that, we need to turn our technology into a well designed physical product that people can put on their desks, plug in, and use every day.

We are looking for a hardware engineer who can take a product from an idea to a working consumer device. You'll work across electrical engineering, computer systems, and industrial design to develop the hardware that brings our AI platform into people's homes and businesses.
This is a role for someone who loves hacking and building things. The kind of people that grew up watching Linus Tech Tips, rooting their phone, and playing around with Luckypatcher. You should be excited about designing a PCB, bringing up a Linux system, figuring out thermals and power delivery, and making a product look and feel beautiful. You'll own the process of rapidly prototyping, testing, and iterating on our hardware until it's ready to manufacture.

What you'll do

• Own the hardware stack: Design, assemble, and iterate on complete computer systems, from component selection to working prototypes.
• Develop electronics: Design and prototype PCBs, power delivery, wiring, and custom electronics for our products.
• Engineer a system: Integrate compute, memory, storage, networking, firmware, and operating systems into reliable hardware.
• Design the product: Develop enclosures, mechanical layouts, cooling solutions, and physical designs that look and feel great.
• Prototype rapidly: Use 3D printing, CNC machining, and other fabrication methods to quickly build and test new designs.
• Prepare for production: Refine designs for cost, reliability, manufacturability, and eventual large-scale assembly. Potential trip to Shenzhen?

Who we're looking for

• Passion for consumer electronics: You care about performance, cost, reliability, and aesthetics, and can balance engineering tradeoffs to build a great product. You spend your free time on tech youtube and hacking with random electronics.
• Electrical engineering fundamentals: Experience with circuit design, PCB layout, soldering, and electronics prototyping, using tools like KiCad or Altium.
• Computer systems knowledge: Strong understanding of PC hardware, Linux, firmware, PCIe, storage, networking, and hardware/software integration.
• Hands-on prototyping: Comfortable assembling, testing, debugging, and modifying hardware, from individual circuits to complete computers.
• Industrial design: Familiarity with CAD tools such as Fusion 360, SolidWorks, or Onshape, and an interest in designing beautiful consumer electronics.
• Software skills: Experience with Python, C/C++, Linux scripting, or low-level systems programming for hardware bring-up and automation.
• Independence: You can take an ambiguous idea, figure out how to make it real, and build it with minimal direction.