Principal Hardware Engineer, Embedded and Prototyping

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Principal Hardware Engineer, Embedded and Prototyping

Company: ButterflyMX

Location: Irvine, California, United States

Job Type: On-site

Category: Hardware Engineering

Date Posted: 2025-06-05

Experience Level: 10+ years

Remote Status: On-site

🎨 Design Role Summary

• Create, experiment, and push boundaries to develop game-changing PropTech products
• Think at a system level, from electrons and bits to real-world physics
• Collaborate cross-functionally to integrate hardware, firmware, and networked intelligence
• Prototype rapidly and iterate based on real-world testing and learning

🖼️ Primary Design Responsibilities

• Own the early product lifecycle from concept to prototype into functional system
• Think at every level—from circuit-level signal integrity to system-level software integration
• Integrate sensors, microcontrollers, communication buses, and networking into compact, reliable, and manufacturable designs
• Prototype rapidly and iterate based on real-world testing, learning through experimentation
• Apply deep expertise in digital and analog electronics to design high-performance, low-noise, and power-efficient circuits
• Design and implement robust power delivery systems, analog front-ends, signal processing circuits, and high-speed digital buses
• Write and optimize bare-metal and RTOS-based microcontroller firmware, ensuring efficient execution at both low-level and high-level
• Document and implement custom communication protocols, creating Interface Control Documents (ICDs) and ensuring robust data exchange
• Collaborate with mechanical engineers to ensure optimal integration of hardware components in rugged, manufacturable enclosures

🎓 Design Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field. Master's degree preferred.

Experience: 8+ years of experience taking products from concept through prototyping to production, including system architecture and new product introduction (NPI).

Required Design Skills:

• Expertise in digital and analog electronics design
• Firmware development experience with bare-metal and RTOS
• Strong hands-on skills with oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and spectrum analyzers
• Experience with physical layer protocols (e.g., CAN, UART, SPI) and higher-level communication stacks (e.g., MQTT, REST, WebSockets)
• Collaborative experience with mechanical engineers on enclosure design, thermal considerations, and EMI/EMC constraints

Preferred Design Skills:

• Experience with secure cloud-connected embedded systems
• Familiarity with design patents, open-source contributions, or recognition for innovation
• Strong documentation skills, including creating interface control documents (ICDs), system diagrams, schematics, and internal technical documentation

🎨 Portfolio & Creative Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate a strong track record of root-cause analysis in multi-domain system failures
• Showcase innovative hardware solutions that blend electrical, firmware, and mechanical aspects
• Highlight creative problem-solving and lateral thinking in unexpected situations
• Display proficiency in documenting and presenting complex technical information

Design Process Documentation:

• Include detailed circuit schematics, PCB layouts, and firmware flowcharts
• Showcase real-world testing results and iterative design improvements
• Demonstrate understanding of system-level integration and cross-functional collaboration

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $120,000 - $180,000 per year (Based on 8+ years of experience and regional adjustments)

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision plans (ButterflyMX covers 90% or 100% of the cost)
• 401(k) plan with a match
• 13 paid holidays, 25 PTO days
• Paid Family Leave
• Employee Assistance Program
• Quarterly self-care stipends
• Optional benefits including pre-tax flexible healthcare spending accounts (FSA and HSA), Dependent Care FSA, and Commuter Benefits, as well as optional Supplemental Life, AD&D, Hospital Indemnity, Disability, Legal, Accident, Critical Illness, Pet, and Personal Liability Insurance

Working Hours: Full-time, 40 hours per week

🎯 Design Team & Company Context

🏢 Company & Design Culture

Industry: Software Development, specifically PropTech (Property Technology)

Company Size: 201-500 employees

Founded: 2014

Design Team Structure:

• ButterflyMX has a distributed, primarily remote workforce with a growing team of intelligent, passionate, collaborative, and down-to-earth individuals
• The design team works cross-functionally with software, mechanical, and electrical engineers to create innovative PropTech products
• The design team is driven by a shared commitment to excellence and innovation, grounded in core values such as delighting customers, taking ownership, and being a community of collaborators

Design Methodology:

• ButterflyMX follows a user-centered design approach, focusing on creating products that delight customers and improve tenant satisfaction
• The design process involves rapid prototyping, real-world testing, and iterative improvement
• The design team collaborates closely with other departments to ensure optimal integration of hardware, firmware, and networked intelligence

Company Website: https://butterflymx.com/

📈 Design Career & Growth Analysis

Design Career Level: Principal Hardware Engineer, Embedded and Prototyping

Reporting Structure: Reports directly to the Director of Hardware Engineering

Design Impact: This role has a significant impact on product development, influencing the design and functionality of ButterflyMX's PropTech products

Growth Opportunities:

• As ButterflyMX continues to grow, there may be opportunities to lead teams or mentor junior engineers
• With experience, this role could evolve into a Director or CTO position, driving the company's hardware strategy
• ButterflyMX offers learning and development opportunities, including quarterly self-care stipends and access to optional benefits such as pre-tax flexible healthcare spending accounts

🌐 Design Work Environment

Studio Type: ButterflyMX has a distributed, primarily remote workforce, with a R&D lab in Irvine, CA

Office Location(s): 44 W 28th St, 4th Floor, New York, 10001, US

Design Workspace Context:

• The R&D lab in Irvine, CA provides a collaborative workspace for hardware engineers to prototype and test new products
• The design team works closely with mechanical and electrical engineers to ensure optimal integration of hardware components in rugged, manufacturable enclosures
• The design team has access to state-of-the-art tools and equipment, including oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and spectrum analyzers

Work Schedule: Full-time, 40 hours per week, with flexible hours to accommodate collaboration and creative flow

📄 Design Application & Portfolio Review Process

Design Interview Process:

• The interview process includes phone screens, technical assessments, and on-site interviews with the hiring manager and cross-functional team members
• Candidates can expect to discuss their design process, problem-solving skills, and portfolio examples in detail
• The interview process may include a design challenge or case study presentation to assess the candidate's ability to think at a system level and integrate hardware, firmware, and networked intelligence

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight innovative hardware solutions that blend electrical, firmware, and mechanical aspects
• Showcase creative problem-solving and lateral thinking in unexpected situations
• Demonstrate proficiency in documenting and presenting complex technical information
• Include real-world testing results and iterative design improvements

Design Challenge Preparation:

• Prepare for a design challenge or case study presentation by reviewing the company's products and understanding their unique features and benefits
• Practice presenting your design process, problem-solving skills, and portfolio examples clearly and concisely
• Research the company's design culture and values to ensure your portfolio and interview responses align with their expectations

Design ATS Keywords:

• Hardware Engineering, Embedded Systems, Prototyping, Firmware Development, Communication Protocols, Networking, Electronics Design, Mechatronics Integration, Troubleshooting, System Architecture, Lateral Thinking, Documentation, Signal Processing, Power Regulation, Real-Time Control, IoT Services

🛠 Design Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Tools:

• Oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and spectrum analyzers for circuit debugging and analysis
• Electronics design software (e.g., Altium Designer, Eagle, or KiCad) for schematic capture and PCB layout
• Firmware development tools (e.g., Atollic TrueSTUDIO, IAR Embedded Workbench, or Keil) for embedded software development
• 3D CAD software (e.g., SolidWorks, AutoCAD, or Fusion 360) for mechanical design and integration

Design Collaboration & Handoff:

• Version control systems (e.g., Git) for collaborative software development and integration
• Project management tools (e.g., Jira, Asana, or Trello) for task tracking and team coordination
• Communication platforms (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Google Workspace) for real-time collaboration and discussion

Design Research & Testing:

• Prototyping platforms (e.g., Arduino, Raspberry Pi, or BeagleBone) for rapid prototyping and testing
• Wireless communication modules (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or Zigbee) for networked device integration
• Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and electromagnetic interference (EMI) testing equipment for product certification and compliance

👥 Design Team Culture & Values

Design Values:

• Delight our customers by creating intuitive, user-centered PropTech products
• Take ownership of our work and be accountable for our actions and results
• Be a community of collaborators, working together to achieve our goals and drive our success
• Speak up and share our ideas, insights, and feedback to continuously improve our products and processes
• Think big and do small, focusing on incremental improvements and innovative solutions
• Be tenacious, persistent, and determined in the face of challenges and setbacks

Design Collaboration Style:

• ButterflyMX fosters a collaborative design culture, encouraging open communication, active listening, and constructive feedback
• The design team works closely with cross-functional teams, including software, mechanical, and electrical engineers, to create integrated PropTech products
• The design team values a culture of continuous learning, growth, and improvement, with a focus on innovation and creativity

⚡ Design Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Design Challenges:

• Integrating hardware, firmware, and networked intelligence seamlessly in compact, reliable, and manufacturable designs
• Designing for real-world environments, considering mechanical constraints, thermal considerations, and EMI/EMC constraints
• Scaling products to meet the demands of a growing user base and expanding feature set
• Balancing performance, power consumption, cost, and manufacturability in circuit design and component selection

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• ButterflyMX offers learning and development opportunities, including quarterly self-care stipends and access to optional benefits such as pre-tax flexible healthcare spending accounts
• The design team encourages continuous learning, growth, and improvement, with a focus on innovation and creativity
• ButterflyMX provides opportunities for engineers to lead teams, mentor junior engineers, and drive the company's hardware strategy

💡 Design Interview Preparation

Design Process Questions:

• Describe your design process for a complex hardware project, from concept to production
• How do you approach troubleshooting at multiple levels, from circuit-level signal integrity to system-level software integration?
• Can you provide an example of a design challenge you faced and how you solved it using lateral thinking and creativity?

Company & Design Culture Questions:

• How do you align your design process with ButterflyMX's user-centered design approach and core values?
• Describe your experience working in a collaborative, cross-functional team environment and how you've contributed to a culture of continuous learning and improvement
• How do you ensure that your design decisions consider the needs of users, stakeholders, and the broader business context?

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Highlight innovative hardware solutions that blend electrical, firmware, and mechanical aspects
• Showcase creative problem-solving and lateral thinking in unexpected situations
• Demonstrate proficiency in documenting and presenting complex technical information
• Include real-world testing results and iterative design improvements to illustrate your design process and decision-making

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this design position:

• Submit your application through this link
• Customize your resume and portfolio to highlight your experience with hardware engineering, embedded systems, and prototyping, as well as your familiarity with design tools and technology stack
• Prepare for the design interview process by reviewing the company's products, understanding their unique features and benefits, and practicing your design process, problem-solving skills, and portfolio presentation
• Research the company's design culture and values to ensure your portfolio and interview responses align with their expectations
• Prepare for a design challenge or case study presentation by reviewing the company's products and understanding their unique features and benefits