Drover Labs · 22 hours ago
Founding Engineer, Avionics
United States
Full-time
Remote
Entry, Mid Level
$130K/yr - $200K/yr
2+ years expDrover Labs is focused on creating advanced robotic systems for challenging environments, and they are seeking a Founding Engineer to join their team. In this role, you will design and develop the embedded and electrical systems of the robot, ensuring reliability and performance in harsh conditions.
Robotics
Responsibilities
Design embedded systems for rugged robotic platforms operating in harsh, GPS-denied environments
Design schematics and multi-layer PCBs (including power, MCU, sensors, motor drivers, and comms)
Bring up new boards from scratch: flashing, probing, debugging, and validating hardware
Write low-level firmware and drivers for sensors, motors, encoders, and peripherals
Integrate embedded systems with higher-level robotics software (ROS, onboard compute, networking)
Own communication stacks and protocols (UART, SPI, I2C, CAN, RS-485, Ethernet)
Develop robust motor control, power management, and fault-handling systems
Design and execute electrical validation and stress testing for real-world environments
Support manufacturing bring-up, test fixtures, and production diagnostics
Collaborate closely with mechanical and software engineers to deliver complete robotic systems
Qualification
Required
2+ years of work experience and deep expertise in embedded systems and EECS
Strong experience with embedded C/C++ for microcontrollers
Experience bringing up new hardware (MCUs, power rails, clocks, peripherals)
Schematic capture and PCB layout experience (Altium, KiCad, or similar)
Experience with SMD components, soldering, rework, and board-level debugging
Designing and debugging power systems (DC-DCs, LDOs, battery interfaces)
Writing low-level drivers and HALs for sensors, actuators, and comms
Understanding of signal integrity, EMI/ESD, grounding, and robustness
Familiarity with embedded debugging tools (JTAG, SWD, logic analyzers, scopes)
Experience with robots, drones, or mechatronic systems
ROS1/ROS2 experience and Linux-based robotics stacks
Motor control experience (BLDCs, servos, encoders, ESCs)
Experience integrating IMUs, cameras, LiDAR, or other perception sensors
Understanding of real-time constraints, latency, and reliability
Basic understanding of RF systems and wireless limitations
Design-minded: You care about clean schematics, readable firmware, and intentional system architecture
Hands-on builder: You enjoy bringing hardware to life, not just simulating it
Systems thinker: You understand how electronics, firmware, mechanics, and software interact
Driven by Curiosity: You build complex things for fun in your free time and love to educate others on problems and solutions
Ownership mentality: You take responsibility from whiteboard to field deployment
Preferred
Experience designing for production and scale
Test fixture and manufacturing test development
Safety-critical or industrial systems experience
Power-constrained or battery-powered embedded design
Field debugging in harsh environments
Benefits
Competitive Compensation
Equity
Benefits
Company
Drover Labs
Autonomy for Industrial Interiors
2-10 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageTotal Funding
$3.1M2026-01-05Seed· $3.1M
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