Embedded Systems Engineer

Department: Engineering

Location: Berkeley

Employment Type: FullTime

Company Description

Backed by leading climate and American dynamism investors, Terranova builds intelligent robotic systems to terraform the Earth itself - lifting land, restoring wetlands, and protecting critical infrastructure from floods and sea-level rise.

Our mission is to preserve the built environment, create new habitats, and usher in an era of abundance. Our work supports climate resilience, disaster recovery, and defense across the United States and beyond.

We’re assembling a world-class team that wants to work on something real, physical, and civilization-scale. If you want your work to reshape the world (literally), this is the place to do it.

What to to Expect

We are looking for a hands-on engineer who can take embedded ideas from schematic to prototype to production. You’ll work on low-level firmware for microcontrollers, efficient peripheral interfacing, and power-aware circuit design - bridging code and hardware to make our systems come alive in the field.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and debug embedded firmware in C/C++ for STM32/ESP32/RP2040 or similar.

• Design and review mixed-signal PCBs using KiCad/Altium.

• Integrate sensors, radios, and power electronics with reliable, low-latency interfaces (I²C, SPI, UART, CAN).

• Characterize and optimize power budgets, EMI performance, and manufacturability.

• Bring-up, test, and validate hardware prototypes through DFM/DFT cycles.

• Support system integration and field debugging of deployed robotic platforms.

• Comfortable with the pace and intensity of early-stage startup life, including long days, 6-day workweeks, and extended field hours

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Electrical Engineering or related field

• U.S. permanent residency required

Preferred Skills and Experience

• STM32/ESP32/RP2040

• C/C++ with FreeRTOS/Zephyr

• SWD/JTAG

• Logic analyzers and scopes

• KiCad/Altium PCB Design

• Mixed-signal and power design

• OTA/bootloaders

• DMA-backed drivers

• DFM/DFT

Nice to Have Skills

• CAD proficiency (OnShape, SolidWorks, Fusion 360, or NX)

• Proven project management capabilities with multiple concurrent workstreams

• Experience with compliance, HAZOP, and FMEA tools for machine safety

Ideal Archetype

• Have worked on large complex robotic systems - various sensors, multiple motors/robots, variety of interfaces, good PCB design skills

• Maker background - love building stuff, work is fun to you

• Coming from a startup environment - high ownership, fast paced environment