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Salary: USD 150,000 - 200,000 / annual
InnerPlant is transforming agriculture by turning plants into living sensors that detect stress before visible symptoms appear. The CropVoice platform helps farmers optimize inputs and increase yields. As Director of Hardware Engineering & Manufacturing, you will own the complete hardware product lifecycle—from system architecture and design through prototyping, validation, manufacturing, deployment, and continuous improvement—for the optical, electrical, embedded, mechanical, and data-acquisition systems that power CropVoice.
You will lead hardware product design and development, including owning the engineering roadmap and system architecture, driving development from concept through production and field deployment, and ensuring hardware operates reliably in harsh agricultural conditions (heat, cold, moisture, dust, vibration, variable power). You will use field data and customer feedback to continuously improve product performance.
You will drive efficient and scalable manufacturing by managing the transition from prototypes to repeatable production, developing relationships with contract manufacturers and suppliers, establishing manufacturing processes and quality standards, and leading root-cause analysis for failures. You will establish reliability and environmental testing programs and verification/validation strategies.
You will build the hardware engineering team by establishing engineering processes that balance rapid development with quality, and by recruiting, developing, mentoring, and leading a high-performing team with clear technical ownership and accountability.
You will report to the Chief Operating Officer and be based in Des Moines, Iowa.
Key Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related technical discipline
- 8+ years of relevant engineering experience with significant experience leading hardware product development
- 3+ years of engineering leadership or management experience
- Demonstrated experience taking complex hardware products from prototype through production and into the field, including managing external engineering, manufacturing, and technology partners
- Experience with electronics, embedded systems, sensors, optics, instrumentation, or related technologies
- Strong understanding of manufacturing processes and design-for-manufacturing principles, including experience with contract manufacturers and external suppliers
- Experience developing verification, validation, reliability, and test strategies
- Strong project and program management capabilities with a track record of meeting deadlines and excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Demonstrated ability to recruit, develop, and lead high-performing engineering teams
- Willingness to work hands-on and dive deeply into technical problems when needed
- Preferred: Experience developing sensing, imaging, optical, agricultural, industrial, automotive, robotics, or other field-deployed hardware for harsh or variable environmental conditions
- Preferred: Experience in agriculture, ag technology, precision agriculture, or a startup/rapidly scaling technology company
