Senior Hardware Engineering Lead - Equity, Startup Scale

Roadrunner Venture Studio; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Roadrunner Venture Studios is seeking a Head of Hardware Engineering for an early-stage portfolio company focused on rainfall enhancement technology. This hands-on leadership role covers architecture, prototyping, and production planning across mechanical, thermal, combustion, and instrumentation systems.

Expect significant equity, travel, and a dynamic startup pace with frequent priorities shifting. You will own the hardware schedule and budget, recruit and mentor a small hardware team, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required in mechanical/aerospace/systems engineering or related field.
• Experience leading hardware from concept to production planning in high-reliability domains.
• Proficiency with CAD tools (SolidWorks/NX) and PLM processes.

Responsibilities

• Own system architecture across mechanical, thermal, combustion, structural, fluid, and controls systems.
• Lead hardware development from design through prototypes, field-ready hardware, and production planning.
• Design, qualify, and manage combustion and thermal hardware, fuel/gas handling, flow, and thermal management.
• Define verification methods, supervise tests, and lead field qualification and failure review.
• Drive design for manufacturing and manage external engineering partners and suppliers.
• Own hardware schedule, budget, qualification timeline, and production readiness; mentor teammates.

Skills

System architecture

Hardware development leadership

Design for manufacturing

Project management

Technical leadership

Problem solving in startup

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical/aerospace/systems engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

NX

PLM systems

Job description

Roadrunner Venture Studios is seeking a Head of Hardware Engineering for an early-stage portfolio company focused on rainfall enhancement technology. This hands-on leadership role covers architecture, prototyping, and production planning across mechanical, thermal, combustion, and instrumentation systems.

Expect significant equity, travel, and a dynamic startup pace with frequent priorities shifting. You will own the hardware schedule and budget, recruit and mentor a small hardware team, and