Tacit · San Francisco
Hardware & ElectricalEngineeringFullTimeposted 5mo ago
About Tacit
We are an early-stage, deep tech startup based in San Francisco, developing innovative hardware that rethinks human-computer interaction. We are backed by General Catalyst, Khosla Ventures, and Greylock Partners, with a founding team from Stanford, BrainGate, Oculus, and Tesla. While we can’t reveal too much just yet, our team is tackling cutting-edge engineering challenges to bring revolutionary products to life.
We’re looking for a Senior Electrical Engineer to help architect, design, and ship next-generation neurotech hardware products. As a key member of our growing hardware team, you will own major portions of the electrical system from early architecture through production and play a critical role in bringing complex consumer electronics to life.
Electrical System Architecture & Product Development
Lead electrical architecture and board-level design for mixed-signal consumer hardware systems from concept through production.
Own schematic design and guide development through EVT, DVT, PVT, and mass production.
Define system partitioning, interfaces, and component selection across compute, sensors, connectivity, and power subsystems.
Drive rigorous design reviews and help establish strong electrical design and manufacturing standards.
Collaborate closely with mechanical, firmware, and software teams to optimize performance, size, thermal behavior, and reliability.
Operate effectively in a startup environment where engineers own large portions of the hardware stack.
High-Speed & High-Density Hardware Design
Design high-density, multi-layer PCBAs using HDI techniques, fine-pitch BGAs, and controlled-impedance routing.
Implement high-speed digital interfaces such as USB, Quad-SPI, MIPI, CSI/DSI, DDR, or similar buses.
Design analog and mixed-signal circuits including amplifiers, filters, sensor interfaces, and ADC/DAC connections.
Optimize PCB layout for signal integrity, power integrity, and low-noise performance.
Power Electronics & Battery Systems
Define system-level power architecture for battery-powered consumer and wearable devices.
Design and integrate high-efficiency DC-DC converters (buck, boost, and related architectures).
Optimize power consumption, battery runtime, and quiescent current across active and standby modes.
Design and integrate battery charging and power management solutions for Li-ion/Li-poly systems.
Consider thermal constraints and power density in compact or sealed wearable devices.
Validation, Bring-Up & Debug
Lead board bring-up and electrical debugging across analog, digital, and power domains.
Use advanced lab instrumentation including oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, spectrum analyzers, and high-speed probes.
Define and execute validation plans including signal integrity, power integrity, and environmental testing.
Perform root-cause analysis and resolve hardware issues discovered during development or production.
Manufacturing & Production (DFM / DFT)
Design hardware with strong Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Test (DFT) principles.
Support EVT, DVT, and PVT builds and ramp hardware to mass production.
Work with contract manufacturers and suppliers to resolve manufacturing and yield issues.
Develop or support manufacturing test infrastructure, including programming, calibration, and test fixtures.
5+ years of experience in electrical or hardware engineering.
Experience shipping at least one consumer electronics product, preferably compact or wearable devices..
Strong experience designing high-density, multi-layer PCBs with controlled impedance and fine-pitch components.
Solid understanding of analog and mixed-signal circuit design.
Experience implementing system power architecture for battery-powered products.
Experience designing or integrating DC-DC converters and power management circuits.
Experience with high-speed interfaces such as USB, Quad-SPI, MIPI, DDR, or similar.
Strong hands-on experience with board bring-up, debugging, and lab validation.
Understanding of signal integrity and power integrity in high-density electronic systems.
Experience working cross-functionally in fast-paced product development environments.
Experience designing wearable or body-worn devices with tight power, size, and thermal constraints.
Strong experience with Altium Designer or equivalent PCB tools.
Experience supporting EVT, DVT, and PVT builds and ramping hardware to mass production.
Experience designing manufacturing test fixtures or automated test systems.
Familiarity with thermal analysis for compact electronics.
Experience with embedded firmware development (C/C++).
Experience with Python for lab automation or instrumentation control.
Familiarity with EMI/EMC pre-compliance testing and mitigation.
Deeper power electronics experience including converter loss analysis and control loop analysis and compensation design
$150,000 - $200,000/year
Competitive equity package
Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance
Company size: 20-30 people
Unlimited PTO
Visa sponsorship
4% 401k matching