Founding Research Engineer
Planetary Geophysics

Mission

Humanity needs more metal extracted in the next 25 years than the past 70,000 combined for electrification. CH4 emissions continue to rise as we struggle to find regenerating geological H2. Phosphorous is depeleting from top soil with a majority of global reserves coming from a single mine in the Sahara Desert. The climate change fight faces multiple subsurface engineering challenges.

Mithras is developing an experimental Earth-scale system to supply resource targets to mining, geothermal, and other subsurface industries to start developing ahead of resource supply shocks. Along the way, we'll measure glacial systems, monitor aquifers, protect agricultural systems from run-off oil & gas production waste products, and more.

This role is multi-scale and multi-disciplinary. We're reinventing a field that's been dormant for 40 years, miniaturizing and ruggedizing it, and taking it multi-scale to build a new Earth-scale subsurface map. You should expect this role to evolve, as it straddles the line between fundamental research and applied engineering.

Responsibilities

• Assemble, wire, and test electronics modules ranging from Arduino dev boards to precision quantum sensors.
• Construct and test wire harnesses. Assemble, rework, and test PCBs and modules.
• Embedded development. Connect and configure sensor modules, flight computers, motor controllers etc.
• Design and construct weather-proofed, thermally, EMI shielded enclosures.
• Assist with rapid prototyping of custom test and fabrication equipment.
• Electrical testing, EMI testing, regression analysis, calibration.
• Managing global sensor arrays.
• Massive data acquisition, storage, transmission, and analysis.
• Building an Earth-scale geophysical model.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience as an electrical technician/engineer or equivalent projects you can show us.
• Confident soldering (through-hole and SMD rework), crimping, and connector work. Can read a schematic and a mechanical drawing.
• Comfortable with hand tools, drill press, bandsaw, and 3D printers.
• Demonstrated balance of rigor and urgency.
• Willing to travel for field campaigns in remote areas and work outdoors.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience with electronic test equipment (oscilloscopes, DMMs, spectrum analyzers) and basic scripting to automate a test.
• Geophysics experience or strong understanding of fundamentals.
• Field deployment experience.
• Machine learning, particularly for geophysical data analysis.

Logistics & Applying

Mithras is located on the border of San Francisco and Brisbane, California. Work is 100% on site, with travel for field campaigns.

Pay range: $120,000.00 - $160,000.00 per year, to be determined on a case-by-case basis based on job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience. Equity can start at 0.5-2.5%.

Mithras is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Mithras is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Apply

Email founders@mithrasindustrial.com with photos and videos of things you have built: harnesses, aircraft, instruments, shop projects, repairs. We care more about what you have built than where you have worked. Include a short note on why this role and a short resume.