Aquatic Labs Embedded Systems Engineer Cambridge, MA · Full time

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About Aquatic

Aquatic's mission is to reveal the invisible throughout the world's waters.  

Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Aquatic is combining cutting-edge semiconductor technology, transformative ocean science, agile development methods, and modern fabrication approaches to create globally-scalable tools for tracking carbon, nutrients, and biodiversity persistently and pervasively throughout the world’s oceans – tools that are absolutely essential and desperately needed for monitoring and verification of ocean carbon sequestration, as well as a host of other global industries.

From tracking ocean carbon to monitoring changing ecosystems, Aquatic is redefining what is possible to know underwater.

Job Description

Aquatic is seeking a highly motivated and technically sophisticated Senior Embedded System Engineer. This engineer will play a central role in the design and development of our core technology stack, focusing largely on embedded systems integrating sensors (chemical, physical, biological), data logging, compute, communication, and routing layers. They will also play a key role in the design of abstraction layers and specified interfaces that will have industry-scale impact through Aquatic and a network of industrial and non-profit partners. The work will require expertise in the implementation of electronic designs (including everything from embedded FPGA/MCU/SOC-based systems to analog front ends for sensor development) and associated firmware and software development.  The position may involve field deployments / expeditions to support data collection and testing, as well as post-deployment review and analysis.

The internal working title for this position is Senior Engineer, but the final level of the position will be determined by the selected candidate’s level of experience, expertise, and ambition.  We have multiple open positions, so interested applicants at a variety of levels are encouraged to apply.  

Our highly collaborative team is based at our new facility in Central Square, Cambridge, MA, with additional facilities available at The Engine and MIT.nano.  While everyone on the team is welcome to work remotely from time to time as convenient, the expectation is that this role will be largely in-person and on-site.

Essential Functions

In this position you will imagine, design, prototype, iterate, and commercially deploy innovative embedded systems tackling some of the thorniest problems in the ocean.  This position requires a strong engineering background, meticulous work habits, strong interpersonal skills, curiosity, creativity, self-motivation and professionalism.  Specific responsibilities include (but are not limited to): 

• Leading the design, fabrication, testing, and deployment of major projects featuring novel embedded systems, with supervision consisting primarily of milestone progress reviews
• Incorporating and inventing new technologies — novel sensing methodologies, new approaches to energy harvesting, routing protocols, sampling methods involving complex mechanical, electrical, or electronic instrumentation, etc
• Playing a significant role in report writing and proposal preparation, patent applications, and publications
• Interacting with the entire Aquatic team to brainstorm new approaches to hard problems within and well beyond your specific expertise
• Supervising a team of Engineers and/or Technical Assistants, and actively building the team according to Aquatic’s aggressive growth strategy.
• With little supervision, will work creatively and independently to establish objectives, meet deadlines, and complete difficult engineering assignments by demonstrating full competency in one or more engineering areas; assists substantively in planning technical aspects of experiments, as well as design, testing, and use of major system components.

Education & Experience

Educational requirements: 

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or computer science with at least five years of experience in embedded systems development
• Alternatively, a Ph.D. or Master's degree in electrical engineering or computer science with several years of related experience. 
• Candidates with a Bachelor's degree but with minimal experience in an unrelated field, or candidates without a formal engineering degree but with strong evidence of an established, specialized engineering skill gained through experience, may be considered for Engineer or Technical Assistant positions.
• All candidates must possess demonstrated excellence within a related field, i.e., a record of superior accomplishment-such as patents, publications, or documented instrumentation or systems

Skills and qualifications:

• Excellent electronic design skills, both analog and digital, including schematic-level design, simulation, circuit board layout, and troubleshooting. 
• Working with complex multi-board systems and selecting the appropriate communication technologies.
• Fluency in C / C++ / Python / and other high-level programming languages, including comfort in learning new languages as needed. tools
• Experience with FPGAs and fluency in VHDL and/or Verilog.
• Experience with designing, fabricating, programming, debugging, and deploying embedded systems.
• Experience with supply chain management and logistics related to hardware development and deployment.
• Adaptable to the dynamic environment of a startup.
• Share our core values and demonstrate a growth mindset.

Other skills that are desirable but not required include:

• Experience with precision sensing and analog-digital interfaces.
• Experience working with oceanographic systems.
• Experience with a wide array of operating system programming and administration.
• Experience with Autodesk family of design tools.
• Experience with data analysis.

Benefits

Aquatic provides a variety of benefits including medical, unlimited PTO, flexible hours and (partial) hybrid working opportunities.  Aquatic is an equal opportunity employer.