This range represents SPAN’s good faith estimate of competitively-priced salary for the role based on national, real-time industry data from companies of a similar growth stage. This range reflects minimum and maximum new hire salaries for the role across US locations. Within the range, individual pay is determined by location and individual factors including relevant skills, experience and education or training. This range correlates to the relative level of the candidate we believe we need for the role and may require an adjustment for candidates of a different level.

Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for the location this role is based during the hiring process.

The Role

The VP of Hardware will lead our hardware engineering function, driving innovation, development, certification and execution of cutting-edge hardware solutions as we scale our product offering. This executive will be responsible for building and scaling a world-class multidisciplinary hardware organization, including electrical, mechanical, reliability, test, and certification teams.

The ideal candidate has deep expertise in complex electrical systems with heavy software integration, ideally in the energy, power electronics, or smart device industries. They bring a proven track record of delivering reliable, certified products at scale and thrive in environments that demand both innovation and operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities:

Leadership & Strategy

• Define and drive the hardware vision, strategy, and execution roadmap in alignment with overall company goals.

• Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing, multidisciplinary team across electrical, mechanical, test, and reliability engineering.

• Partner closely with software, product, operations, and supply chain leaders to ensure seamless integration across disciplines.

Product Development & Execution

• Oversee full product lifecycle from concept through production, ensuring designs meet performance, cost, reliability, and manufacturability requirements.

• Establish best-in-class design, validation, and verification processes for complex electrical products.

• Drive continuous improvement in development processes, design practices, and quality systems.

Compliance & Reliability

• Ensure all hardware meets rigorous certification, compliance, and safety requirements (UL, CE, FCC, NEC, IEC, etc.).

• Champion product reliability, durability, and long-term performance in real-world environments.

• Implement robust testing protocols, accelerated life testing, and root-cause failure analysis.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with software engineering to enable seamless hardware-software integration and embedded systems design.

• Work with operations and supply chain to ensure scalable, cost-effective production and smooth product launches.

• Collaborate with product management to align hardware capabilities with customer needs and market opportunities.

Innovation & Thought Leadership

• Stay ahead of industry trends in energy, electrification, and smart device technologies.

• Represent the company in technical discussions with partners, regulators, and industry bodies.

• Drive IP strategy and protect key innovations.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field; Master’s or Ph.D. preferred.

• 15+ years of experience in hardware engineering, with at least 10 years in a senior leadership role across multiple hardware disciplines.

• Entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to operate at both strategic and hands-on levels.
  Expertise in product reliability engineering and driving high-quality standards.

• Proven track record of successfully bringing hardware products to market.

• Strong understanding of hardware design processes, manufacturing, and supply chain management.

• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.

• Experience with regulatory compliance and quality standards in hardware development.

• Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and manage multiple priorities.

Life at SPAN

Headquartered in San Francisco’s vibrant SoMa neighborhood, we are an eclectic group of creative thinkers who value open communication, teamwork, and a ‘make it happen’ approach to addressing complex challenges.

SPAN embraces diversity and equal opportunity in a serious way. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills.

We’re hiring talented individuals who are driven by success and are passionate about shaping the future of renewable energy. If that sounds like you, we’d love for you to consider joining the rapidly growing team at SPAN.

The Perks:

⚡ Competitive compensation + equity grants at a well-funded, venture-backed company

⚡ Comprehensive benefits: 100% employee premiums for base plans on medical, dental, vision with options for additional coverage. Parental leave up to six (6) months depending on eligibility

⚡ Comfortable, sunny office space located near BART and Caltrain public transit

⚡ Strong focus on team building and company culture: Employee Resource Groups, monthly social events, SPANcakes recognition breakfast, lunch, and learns

⚡ Flexible hours and PTO

Interested in joining our team? Apply today and we’ll be in touch with the next steps!

Compensation Range: $275K - $300K