Hippo Harvest Hardware Engineering Manager Pescadero, CA · Full time

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We are a controlled environment agriculture (CEA) startup that leverages plant science, machine learning, and robotics to economically and sustainably grow vegetables in greenhouses.

Overview

Hippo Harvest is building the next generation of sustainable greenhouse farming by combining hydroponics, robotics, and machine intelligence. Our systems use 90% less water, reduce waste, eliminate fertilizer runoff, and enable fresh produce to be grown locally year-round. We’re now scaling toward a 35 acre commercial deployment utilizing 100s of robots, transforming how food is grown in a changing climate.

We’re seeking a Hardware Engineering Manager to lead our hardware team through the transition from ruggedized prototypes to production-ready systems. You’ll guide architecture decisions, oversee reliability improvements, and contribute hands-on to electromechanical design. This is a rare role where you’ll see your systems run 24/7 in live production, collecting real-world data and closing the loop between prototype, field performance, and next-generation design.

In addition to managing a small, lean team, you will play a key role in managing relationships with manufacturers, vendors, and external design firms to ensure our systems are manufacturable, cost-effective, and ready for scale. You will also define the skills and capabilities our hardware organization needs as we scale, and build the team required to support the next phase of development.

You Will

• Lead, mentor, and grow the hardware engineering team while remaining highly hands-on in design and troubleshooting.

• Architect mechanical and electrical systems for robotic automation platforms; define long-term hardware roadmaps and strategic investments.

• Design next-generation systems that can scale to large commercial deployments, including fleets of 100s of robots.

• Build and test hardware in our live production greenhouse environment in Pescadero.

• Identify the skills, roles, and capabilities needed on the hardware team as we scale, and lead hiring efforts to build the right team for the job.

• Work closely with operations and plant science teams to integrate systems, learn from field failures, and implement improvements.

• Drive reliability, manufacturability, and serviceability improvements, incorporating insights from corrosion, vibration, cable management, and other environmental challenges.

• Design electromechanical systems including actuators, motors, low-voltage power distribution, sensing, and control hardware.

• Diagnose and resolve complex electrical, mechanical, and software-integration failures, leading root-cause analysis efforts.

• Manage relationships with external partners including manufacturers, vendors, and design firms; conduct design reviews, guide requirements, and ensure alignment on quality and cost.

You Have

• MS or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.

• Experience leading engineering teams in a fast-moving environment.

• Strong mechanical and electrical design fundamentals and comfort working across disciplines.

• Background in robotics, automation, industrial automation, or factory equipment.

• Experience working with manufacturers, vendors, or design partners to support production and scaling.

• 5+ years of experience taking electromechanical systems from prototype to production.

• Ability to troubleshoot complex hardware issues and drive them to resolution.

• Comfort working on-site and collaborating closely with operational teams.

• Experience assessing team skill gaps and hiring to build a strong, multidisciplinary hardware organization.

We Offer

• Mission-driven work that directly advances sustainable agriculture.

• Hybrid schedule: 4 days/week on-site in Pescadero, 1 day remote.

• Six weeks paid vacation.

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance.

• Twelve weeks paid parental leave.

• 401(k) with company match.

• Company stock options.