Senior Engineer- Embedded Hardware

About Us

Solinas, a deep-tech startup incubated at IIT Madras, is India’s pioneering asset management venture transforming the water and sanitation sector. Recognized and commended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Solinas is on a mission to tackle pressing challenges such as manual scavenging, water accessibility, and the prevention of floods and sewer overflows. At the core of our vision lies a commitment to developing homegrown, affordable robotics and AI solutions for pipeline inspections, manhole and septic tank cleaning, and underground asset management.

Since 2018, we have transformed operations across 30+ cities, earning accolades such as Best On-Campus Startup by the Economic Times, an appearance on Shark Tank India, and partnerships with industry leaders like Ashirvad Pipes and The/Nudge Institute. On the global stage, Solinas has been named Best Southeast Asian Startup by Imagine H2O — a testament to our innovation, impact, and purpose driven growth.

About the role

You'll lead our embedded hardware team end-to-end — from first schematic to field-deployed product. Your work will directly power the robots that inspect underground pipelines, clean septic tanks, and prevent floods across 30+ cities in India and beyond. This isn't a review-and-approve role. You'll be hands-on when it matters, technically decisive when the team needs direction, and commercially minded enough to make prototype-to-production tradeoffs without losing sleep.

What You'll Own

• Hardware Design & Validation
• Full hardware design cycle — schematics, PCB layout review, Gerber sign-off, fabrication coordination, and validation
• Ensure every board that goes into a Solinas robot meets safety, EMI/EMC, and reliability standards before it ever sees a sewer  Diagnose and resolve hardware failures fast — in the lab and, when needed, in the field
• Maintain compliance with relevant electronic system regulations and industry standards System Integration & Prototyping
• Translate product requirements into hardware architectures — selecting the right motors, sensors, cameras, actuators, connectors, and power electronics for each platform
• Prototype rapidly; validate ideas in physical hardware before committing to production
• Own wiring diagrams, interface definitions, and hardware documentation that mechanical and firmware teams can actually use
• Work across DC-DC converters, LED drivers, RS-422/485 comms, WiFi modules, hydraulic systems, and more

Team Leadership

• Lead and mentor a team of electronics engineers — setting technical standards, reviewing designs, and developing the next generation of hardware talent at Solinas
• Run hardware design reviews that are rigorous but efficient — catching real problems without slowing the team down
• Be the hardware voice in cross-functional planning with mechanical, firmware, and software teams Procurement & Vendors
• Build and maintain a reliable supply chain for components and assemblies — identifying vendors, negotiating costs, and qualifying alternatives
• Keep component inventory healthy and proactively manage obsolescence and lead-time risks What

We're Looking For

Must-Have

• 8+ years in electronics/hardware engineering with at least 2–3 years leading a team
• Deep expertise in PCB design and review using Altium, KiCAD, Eagle, or equivalent
• Hands-on knowledge of DC motors, motor drivers, power electronics, sensors, and embedded hardware systems
• Experience taking hardware from prototype through to production — including manufacturing, testing, and QA
• Strong communication skills: you can explain a hardware tradeoff to a firmware engineer and a timeline risk to a CEO

Great to Have

• Background in robotics, industrial automation, or field-deployed hardware (not just lab or consumer electronics)
• Experience with regulatory compliance for electronic systems in industrial or safety-critical environments
• Comfort working in a fast-moving startup where the scope of your role will grow with the company Why Solinas
• Your hardware will operate in conditions most engineers never design for — underground, submerged, in active sewers — and it will save lives doing it
• Work directly with the founders (Forbes 30 Under 30, IIT Madras) with real influence over technical direction and product roadmap
• 30+ cities, national awards, Shark Tank India, and a global recognition from Imagine H2O — we have traction and we're scaling
• Competitive salary with performance-linked incentives, comprehensive healthcare, and access to L&D opportunities
• A multidisciplinary team of roboticists, engineers, and domain experts who are serious about the mission and good to work with