Senior Electrical Engineer, Automation & Validation

Copper • Full-time • Berkeley, CA, US • $135k - $185k / year • 1w ago

Overview

At Copper, we're reinventing home appliances for an electrified future. Our flagship Charlie stove pairs high-performance induction with integrated energy storage to make the switch from fossil fuels a no-brainer. We're a small, fast, collaborative team that ships, learns, and iterates quickly.

As a Senior Electrical Engineer with a focus on Automation & Validation, you'll own electrical validation and compliance across prototype and production hardware. You'll lead PCB bring-up and system-level electrical testing; design and build reliable test rigs for reliability and certification; and develop clear validation plans, procedures, and reports with hardware and embedded teammates. You'll support factory test automation by contributing tooling, scripts (Python), and fixture improvements that enhance coverage and throughput. On the bench and the line, you'll assemble and wire test setups, use instruments to characterize performance, troubleshoot PCBAs and electronics, drive root-cause analysis, and elevate safety and quality. You'll help define scalable test processes, build custom equipment, and document rigorously-and maybe even contribute a recipe or two.

We value diversity and are committed to building a team that reflects a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, abilities, and perspectives. We're especially focused on fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone can contribute to our shared mission.

This is a full-time position and it is expected to be in-office 4 days per week. Our office is located in Berkeley, CA.

What You'll Do

Electrical Validation
- Plan, execute, and report PCB and system-level validation from EVT through production.
- Design & build electrical system validation equipment and DIN-rail test fixtures; bring-up safely and reliably.
- Run UL pre-compliance (component/construction checks, PCB design-rule verification, hipot and ground-bond testing); track actions to closure.
- Run EMC pre-compliance (LISN + spectrum analyzer, near-field probing); analyze failures and propose mitigations (grounding, shielding, filtering, layout/fixture changes).
- Develop clear test plans, procedures, and acceptance criteria; create structured test lists and traceability to requirements
- Model safe work around 240 VAC circuits (LOTO / NFPA 70E basics)
Test Development & Automation
- Build production-line test equipment and electromechanical test rigs.
- Convert hand-drawn jig/schematic concepts into reliable DIN-rail assemblies and bring-up safely.
- Develop automated test scripts (Python preferred) for validation and manufacturing; maintain test infrastructure and fixtures.

Manufacturing & Factory Support
- Evaluate production line quality for PCBs and wiring harnesses (IPC-A-620), support training factory personnel on safe QA practices.
- Debug failed units and test systems on the line; improve test coverage, reliability, and throughput.
- Assemble, wire, crimp, and solder panels and harnesses to a high standard; specify tools/consumables.

What You'll Bring

5-15 years in electrical validation, hardware test development, manufacturing test engineering and/or manufacturing automation.
Mastery of lab instrumentation (oscilloscopes, electronic loads, spectrum analyzers, hipot testers).
Demonstrated competence with mains safety and best practices at 120/240 Vac.
Hands-on build ability: translate a schematic into a DIN-rail panel/fixture and commission it safely.
Practical knowledge of grounding, shielding, filtering, and EMC countermeasures.
Experience with UL and FCC compliant product construction, pre-compliance workflows and lab interactions.
Proficiency in Python (or similar) for automated testing and data capture.
Clear, systematic documentation; calm, structured debugging; ownership mindset in a fast-moving startup

Compensation

The salary range for this role is $135,000 - $185,000 per year, plus equity compensation. We are committed to equitable compensation, and offer a generous benefits package to make sure you have the support you need. We cover 100% of the premiums for our employees and 50% of the premiums for their dependents on our base plans for medical, dental, and vision insurance. We offer a 401(k) plan for employees to contribute to, in addition to many other benefits. Every employee, regardless of gender identity or expression, is eligible for 16 weeks of paid parental leave after three months of employment (eight weeks through Copper and eight weeks CA Paid Family Leave).

Equal Employment Opportunity

We are committed to creating an equitable and inclusive environment for all our employees and are seeking to build a team that reflects the diversity of the people we hope to serve with our products. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

About Us

Copper's vision is a future where every home is electrified with abundant clean energy. Our mission is to make decarbonization accessible to everyone by selling electric home appliances that enrich their daily lives. We're reducing the cost of electrification by integrating batteries into household appliances, starting with the stove. Our work has been funded by the Department of Energy, in an effort to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and increase energy resilience with products that are high-performance, safe, intuitive, and robust. As we build our team and pursue our mission, we do it with a strong sense of our core values because it's not just what you do, it's how you do it. You'll see this in high-level decisions, how we run meetings, our day-to-day work, hiring, and our interactions with customers and the broader community. We intend to have a massive impact on our team, our neighborhood, and the world.

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