Hardware Systems Engineer

Company Description

Since we opened our doors in 2009, the world of commerce has evolved immensely, and so has Square. After enabling anyone to take payments and never miss a sale, we saw sellers stymied by disparate, outmoded products and tools that wouldn’t work together.

So we expanded into software and started building integrated, omnichannel solutions – to help sellers sell online, manage inventory, offer buy now, pay later functionality through Afterpay, book appointments, engage loyal buyers, and hire and pay staff. Across it all, we’ve embedded financial services tools at the point of sale, so merchants can access a business loan and manage their cash flow in one place. Afterpay furthers our goal to provide omnichannel tools that unlock meaningful value and growth, enabling sellers to capture the next generation shopper, increase order sizes, and compete at a larger scale.

Today, we are a partner to sellers of all sizes – large, enterprise-scale businesses with complex operations, sellers just starting, as well as merchants who began selling with Square and have grown larger over time. As our sellers grow, so do our solutions. There is a massive opportunity in front of us. We’re building a significant, meaningful, and lasting business, and we are helping sellers worldwide do the same.

Job Description

Our hardware team builds the tangible connection to all that is Block. We started with the simple, iconic card reader that turns any phone into a mobile point of sale. Since then, we have expanded our hardware portfolio to meet the needs of more sellers. Although the technology inside our hardware is growing more and more complex, the end goal is always the same: simple, elegant hardware that our merchants are proud to show to their customers.

Systems Engineering is a relatively new team within hardware.  Our goal is to translate the fuzzy world of the customer experience (“WiFi that just works”, “premium touch experience”) to verifiable, measurable performance targets for engineering.  

We do this through:

• Building automated measurement systems to measure device performance;

• Designing and implementing experiments to evaluate new modules or device functionality;

• Working with Product Managers to calibrate these measurements to the customer experience;

• Translating our learnings into specs and validation plans for future products. 

You will:

• Create Python scripts to orchestrate various instruments and the unit under test;

• Analyze large sums of data programmatically and create compelling figures;

• Use statistics to convert piles of data into meaningful product performance insights;

• Dive in to learn the trickiest cross-discipline hardware technologies (e.g. wifi, display, batteries) and help our engineers and product managers understand what matters most to our customers;

• Help develop new measurement setups for our prototype devices (fixture development, measurement specifications, test procedures);

• Pull together hardware engineers, software engineers and product managers to facilitate judgment calls that balance the product experience, cost and time;

• Help us define the future of Hardware Systems Engineering at Block.

Qualifications

You have:

• An investigative mindset, determination to find root cause of device behaviors and communicate insights clearly through reports;

• Proficiency in Python scripting;

• Developed hardware, software or modeling tools that someone else has used

• Created automated hardware + software setups  (e.g. robotics or instrumentation);

• Thrived in a fast-paced, fast-changing environment;

• Worked in a lab environment running tests and reviewing data;

• The ability to be in our Oakland lab 3 – 4 days per week.

Bonus points if you have:

• Experience working with embedded systems or a successful consumer electronics device;

• Direct experience with one or more of these technologies:

  • NFC

  • WIFI

  • Bluetooth

  • Capacitive touch sensors

  • Displays

  • Batteries 

  • Audio

• Performed tradeoff analysis early in the development cycle

• Working knowledge of data storage and retrieval.

• Experience with fabrication techniques (machine shop, laser cutters, 3D printers, soldering)

Additional Information

Block takes a market-based approach to pay, and pay may vary depending on your location. U.S. locations are categorized into one of four zones based on a cost of labor index for that geographic area. The successful candidate’s starting pay will be determined based on job-related skills, experience, qualifications, work location, and market conditions. These ranges may be modified in the future.

Zone A: USD $135,200 – USD $202,800
Zone B: USD $128,500 – USD $192,700
Zone C: USD $121,700 – USD $182,500
Zone D: USD $115,000 – USD $172,400

To find a location’s zone designation, please refer to this salary-zones”>resource. If a location of interest is not listed, please speak with a recruiter for additional information. 

Full-time employee benefits include the following:

• Healthcare coverage (Medical, Vision and Dental insurance)
• Health Savings Account and Flexible Spending Account
• Retirement Plans including company match 
• Employee Stock Purchase Program
• Wellness programs, including access to mental health, 1:1 financial planners, and a monthly wellness allowance 
• Paid parental and caregiving leave
• Paid time off (including 12 paid holidays)
• Paid sick leave (1 hour per 26 hours worked (max 80 hours per calendar year to the extent legally permissible) for non-exempt employees and covered by our Flexible Time Off policy for exempt employees) 
• Learning and Development resources
• Paid Life insurance, AD&D, and disability benefits 

These benefits are further detailed in Block’s policies. This role is also eligible to participate in Block’s equity plan subject to the terms of the applicable plans and policies, and may be eligible for a sign-on bonus. Sales roles may be eligible to participate in a commission plan subject to the terms of the applicable plans and policies. Pay and benefits are subject to change at any time, consistent with the terms of any applicable compensation or benefit plans.

We’re working to build a more inclusive economy where our customers have equal access to opportunity, and we strive to live by these same values in building our workplace. Block is a proud equal opportunity employer. We work hard to evaluate all employees and job applicants consistently, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, pregnancy, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, citizenship, or any other legally protected class. 

We believe in being fair, and are committed to an inclusive interview experience, including providing reasonable accommodations to disabled applicants throughout the recruitment process. We encourage applicants to share any needed accommodations with their recruiter, who will treat these requests as confidentially as possible. Want to learn more about what we’re doing to build a workplace that is fair and square? Check out our I+D page.

Block will consider qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records for employment in accordance with state and local laws and “fair chance” ordinances. Because the material duties of this role involve direct or indirect access to sensitive personal or financial data, a criminal background check is required following a contingent offer of employment.

Block, Inc. (NYSE: SQ) is a global technology company with a focus on financial services. Made up of Square, Cash App, Spiral, TIDAL, and TBD, we build tools to help more people access the economy. Square helps sellers run and grow their businesses with its integrated ecosystem of commerce solutions, business software, and banking services. With Cash App, anyone can easily send, spend, or invest their money in stocks or Bitcoin. Spiral (formerly Square Crypto) builds and funds free, open-source Bitcoin projects. Artists use TIDAL to help them succeed as entrepreneurs and connect more deeply with fans. TBD is building an open developer platform to make it easier to access Bitcoin and other blockchain technologies without having to go through an institution.

While there is no specific deadline to apply for this role, on average, U.S. open roles are posted for 70 days before being filled by a successful candidate.