Hardware Engineer

Trace builds AI-powered sports cameras that automatically film and edit video highlights for every player on the field. Our 15,000+ cameras are deployed worldwide, capturing millions of moments each season for players, coaches, and families.

We’re a lean, fast-moving engineering team tackling the full stack of challenges — from optics to embedded systems to cloud infrastructure — to deliver reliable, production-scale hardware that just works in the field. At Trace, we value initiative over hierarchy and ownership over narrow roles. Engineers here are trusted to identify problems, chase them down, and deliver solutions end-to-end.

If you’re excited by the idea of building and sustaining real hardware used every day in the real world — and you want to work in a culture that rewards autonomy, agency, and curiosity — this role is for you.

The Role

As a Hardware Engineer, you’ll be a critical member of Trace’s hardware team, working directly with the Director of Hardware and firmware/software teammates to design, validate, and sustain the 15,000+ AI-powered soccer cameras deployed worldwide. This role demands curiosity, technical breadth, and a proactive mindset — you’ll be chasing down issues across PCBs, firmware, and hardware systems, and seeing them through to resolution.

How You Will Contribute

• Validate and bring up new PCB designs — from schematic review to hands-on testing and debugging.
• Investigate firmware/kernel logs to troubleshoot field issues in partnership with firmware team.
• Run and refine system-level tests to ensure camera reliability at scale.
• Support failure analysis of hardware returned from the field; identify root causes and implement design improvements.
• Jump in wherever needed: from electrical debug to suggesting mechanical fixes or evaluating replacement parts.
• Document design validation steps, debug findings, and solutions for internal knowledge sharing.

Skills & Experience That Will Help You Succeed

• BS or higher in Electrical/Computer Engineering or related field (or equivalent experience)
• Hands-on experience debugging hardware using tools such as DMM, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers,, or serial debuggers
• Comfort reading schematics or digging into low-level logs
• Side-projects or personal builds demonstrating initiative and agency are a strong plus
• Programming ability in C/C++ and/or Python for test automation, firmware bring-up, or debugging
• Familiarity with consumer electronics, edge devices, or IoT hardware is a plus
• Experience in embedded systems, PCB debugging, and firmware-hardware integration

What We Value

• Initiative and agency: we’re a low-management culture where you’ll own problems end-to-end.
• Comfort with broad responsibilities: from PCB bring-up to mechanical fixes, no aspect of hardware is “out of scope”
• Bias toward action: able to investigate and resolve issues with imperfect information.
• Curiosity and breadth: interest in working across hardware, firmware, and systems.
• Passion for sports and technology — we work hard to bring both together.