Freelance Electronics & PCB Designer
Saan Sensor
Published Date: • Remote
Description
Saan is developing a smart plant-care system that combines wireless sensors, embedded electronics, and connected devices. We currently have working electronics prototypes built using development boards, sensors and soldered components. We also have some preliminary PCB designs. Our next step is to transition these prototypes into compact, custom-designed printed circuit boards (PCBs) that can be manufactured, assembled and tested.
We're looking for a hands-on electronics and PCB designer who can help us move from prototypes to working custom circuit boards. This is a practical engineering role focused on electronics design, PCB development, component testing, and hardware prototyping.
Responsibilities
- Review existing circuits, components, schematics, and PCB designs.
- Help evaluate, select, and test electronic components.
- Design and improve circuit schematics and PCB layouts using KiCad, Altium, EasyEDA, or similar software.
- Convert development-board and soldered prototypes into integrated custom PCBs.
- Prepare fabrication and assembly files (Gerber, BOM, pick-and-place files, etc.).
- Coordinate prototype PCB fabrication using services such as PCBWay or JLCPCB.
- Assemble and solder prototype PCBs where necessary.
- Test and troubleshoot electronics, sensors, power circuits, and microcontroller connections.
- Perform basic firmware flashing and hardware/firmware integration testing.
- Identify design issues and recommend improvements for subsequent PCB revisions.
Document designs, component choices, and testing results.
Primary objective: Develop functional, tested custom PCB prototypes based on our existing electronics.
The immediate priority is prototyping and validation. Mass manufacturing, commercial certification, and production engineering are outside the initial scope.
Required Skills & Experience
- Good understanding of electronic circuits, components, and circuit design.
- Practical experience designing PCB schematics and layouts.
- Experience with KiCad, Altium, EasyEDA, or similar tools.
- Ability to read schematics, troubleshoot circuits, and identify hardware issues.
- Hands-on experience with soldering, component assembly, and electronic testing.
- Familiarity with microcontrollers and common sensor interfaces (I2C, SPI, GPIO, ADC, etc.).
- Ability to prepare PCB files for fabrication and work with PCB manufacturers.
- Ability to work independently, communicate progress clearly, and document work.
Formal engineering qualifications are welcome but not required. Demonstrated hands-on experience and completed hardware projects are more important.
Preferred Experience (Not Required)
- IoT and wireless sensor devices.
- Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).
- Battery-powered and low-power electronics.
- ESP32, Nordic nRF, or similar microcontrollers.
- Capacitive soil-moisture sensing or environmental sensors.
- Embedded C/C++ and basic firmware debugging.
- Previous experience with PCBWay, JLCPCB, or similar fabrication services.
- Experience developing and testing multiple PCB revisions.
Working Arrangement
- Fully remote, with flexible working hours.
- Approximately 15–20 hours per week, depending on the project stage.
- Regular communication through online meetings and messaging.
- Some availability for scheduled meetings overlapping with US Eastern Time.
- Components, prototype boards, and required hardware can be sourced locally or shipped, with purchasing and testing arrangements agreed upon in advance.
- Collaboration with the project owner, with additional engineering reviews available for key design decisions.
We are looking for someone who enjoys hands-on electronics development, takes initiative, and can translate ideas into functional hardware.
Experience
1 Year
Apply By
Required Skills
- PCB Layout
- Troubleshooting
- PCB Fabrication File Preparation
- ADC
- GPIO
- SPI
- i2C
- Microcontrollers
- Electronic testing
- Soldering
- EasyEda
- Altium
- Kicad
- PCB Layout and Routing
- Design for Testability
- Component assembly
- Electronic Circuit Design
Nice to Have Skills
- JLCPCB
- PCBWay
- Firmware Debugging
- Embedded C/C++
- Capacitive Soil-Moisture Sensing
- Nordic nRF
- ESP32
- Low-Power Electronics Design
- Bluetooth Low Energy
- IoT Sensor Devices
- Design for Manufacturing