Founding Embedded Engineer, Consumer Hardware

Founding Embedded Engineer, Consumer HardwareEster HealthSanta Monica, CA (Hybrid) • 2 Days Onsite Per WeekEster Health is building an AI-powered skincare platform that combines advanced imaging, hardware, and machine learning to help consumers better understand and improve their skin health. We're backed by Austere Moose, a venture studio helmed by the founders of GoodRx.We are seeking a Founding Embedded Engineer to own the device experience end-to-end. This is the engineer whose work determines whether the device produces a clean, reliable, repeatable scan every time a user picks it up.You will own the embedded platform, imaging capture path, hardware integration, and device reliability while working closely with the founder, imaging team, and machine learning engineers.This is a rare opportunity to join at the earliest stage and help define both the product and the technical foundation of the company.What You’ll OwnEmbedded platform bring-up and system integrationCamera, LED, and sensor integrationRGB and UV imaging capture workflowsDiagnostics, logging, calibration, and recovery systemsDevice reliability and performance optimizationDevice-to-app connectivity, pairing, provisioning, and OTA updatesArchitecture decisions that accelerate validation, testing, and product developmentDevelopment of scalable systems that can transition from prototype to productionWhat We’re Looking ForWe’re looking for a product-minded embedded engineer who has built and shipped consumer hardware products and enjoys working across hardware and software boundaries.Required ExperienceEmbedded Linux development on shipped productsHardware bring-up and subsystem integrationCamera or sensor integration where capture consistency and image quality were criticalStrong understanding of system-level debugging and troubleshootingExperience balancing hardware, software, and product tradeoffsHands-on prototyping and rapid iterationManufacturing-aware engineering mindsetPreferred ExperienceConsumer electronics or connected devicesImaging systems, computer vision, or camera pipelinesWireless connectivity and device provisioningThermal and power optimizationExperience working in startup or zero-to-one environmentsWhy Join Ester Health?Founding-level ownership and influenceOpportunity to help build a category-defining consumer health productClose collaboration with experienced founders and technical leadersMeaningful equity participationFull benefits packageCompensationIn addition to competitive base salary, this role includes full benefits & meaningful founder-level equity.Interview ProcessIntroductory conversationTechnical deep divePaid work trial (approximately 5–10 hours)Reference checksIf you’re excited about building consumer hardware from the ground up and want to have a direct impact on product success, we’d love to hear from you.Please apply through our recruiting partner, Widger Talent, for prompt consideration.