Senior Embedded Hardware Engineer – Automotive IoT (Contract)

About Optara Labs
Optara Labs is building last mile of super-intellegence.
We develop AI-powered sensing systems for fleet vehicles, capturing and processing real-world information to help create cleaner environments, safer communities, and smarter infrastructure.
We are an early-stage, bootstrapped startup focused on building practical technology that works in real-world conditions.
About the Role
We are looking for an experienced Embedded Hardware Engineer to help us take our existing working prototype to a safe, reliable, field deployments.
Our immediate goal is to deploy edge devices on the field and validate our end-to-end sensing and intelligence pipeline.
We need someone who understands the challenges of deploying electronics in real operating environments, particularly power management, overheating, connectivity, and long-term reliability.
This is a short-term, project-based consulting engagement, not a full-time position. The scope, duration, and compensation will be determined collaboratively.
Responsibilities
Hardware Assessment: Evaluate our existing prototype and identify potential electrical, thermal, mechanical, and operational risks.
Power Management: Design a reliable power solution including voltage regulation, power-loss protection, and automatic restart.
Thermal Management: Assess and improve cooling.
Hardware Safety: Identify and mitigate risks related to overheating, electrical faults, battery systems, and unexpected power interruptions.
Connectivity: Recommend and integrate practical Wi-Fi/LTE connectivity solutions for reliable data synchronization.
Enclosure Design: Improve the physical design for ventilation, vibration resistance, secure mounting, and ease of installation.
Documentation: Provide a recommended hardware architecture, bill of materials (BOM), and deployment guidelines.
What Success Looks Like
The engagement will be considered successful when:
Critical hardware safety and reliability risks have been identified and addressed.
Two integrated prototypes have passed agreed-upon electrical, thermal, power-cycle, and operational tests.
Devices can start automatically, operate reliably, and shut down safely when vehicle power is interrupted.
A practical, cost-conscious design is documented for replication across 10 devices.
Optara has a clear, evidence-based path toward safe field deployment.
Qualifications
Required
Demonstrated hands-on experience in embedded hardware engineering and system integration.
Experience developing and deploying physical electronic products beyond laboratory prototypes.
Strong understanding of power electronics, DC-DC conversion, thermal management, and hardware reliability.
Experience troubleshooting hardware and software integration issues.
Ability to independently assess engineering trade-offs and recommend practical, cost-effective solutions.
Strong documentation and communication skills.

Work arrangement
Yes