Hardware Engineer at Proto-Town (Lockhart)
Proto-Town· Lockhart·
Role details
Job description
Proto-Experiments runs ambitious projects. Our current focus is ML-driven crystal growth systems that close the loop between sensors, ML-driven control, and physical hardware. We're looking for a tinkerer whose core strengths are sensors, microcontroller programming, and breadboard-level fabrication. A lot of this role is figuring out how to prototype and build. Materials science or ML background is a plus but not required. Hiring ASAP. Crystal growth is the immediate project, but Proto-Experiments has other unusual builds in the pipeline. If it is a good fit, there is real opportunity to keep working together on what comes next.
What you'll do
- Build the sensing side of our growth rigs: thermocouples, optical sensors, cameras, pressure sensors - selecting them, wiring them cleanly, and getting clean signals out of noisy environments.
- Program the microcontrollers running the rigs: sensor sampling, control loops, motor sequencing, and host comms.
- Breadboard and prototype-level fabrication: protoboards, harnesses, simple carrier boards, plus 3D-printed brackets and basic mechanical scaffolding.
- Power side: heater control, motor drives, PID loops, MOSFETs, isolation, grounding.
- Take rigs from "works on the bench" to "runs reliably for a 72-hour growth," and debug across the stack when they don't.
We're looking for
- A natural tinkerer - someone who learns quickly, stays deeply curious, works extremely hard, and brings creativity to the bench.
- Strong sensor integration experience
- Solid microcontroller programming
- Real breadboard and prototype-fab skills
- Light mechanical fab: basic CAD, 3D printing
You don't need every one of these. We care more about mindset and attitude. Logistics
- Contract: Hours flexible. Hiring ASAP. Potential to convert to full-time.
- On-site in Lockhart, TX.
- To apply: email jack@earthship.city
Why work at Proto-Town
- Culture: Described as a “resurrected spirit of experimentation” with a “frontier” mentality. The environment is deeply hands-on, hardware-first, and driven by builders rather than software optimizers. One employee described it as “not just LinkedIn and fake buttons that you’re clicking.”
- Work environment: On-site living is common (retrofitted shipping containers, old school buses, inflatable office buildings). The remoteness fosters deep focus and rapid iteration. Safety gets high attention (security checkpoint, emergency protocols).
- Remote/hybrid policy: Not explicitly stated, but the nature of the work (physical hardware, on-site testing, nuclear reactors) heavily implies on-site, hands-on presence is required. Likely not remote-friendly.
- Notable perks: Access to cutting-edge hardware infrastructure, proximity to elite founders and investors, ability to influence the physical build-out of an entire new town from scratch, and the chance to be part of a project that has been compared to the Manhattan Project in its speed and ambition.
- Engineering culture: Direct, gritty, and high-autonomy. You’ll likely be working on real physical systems—robots, reactors, drones, energy storage—rather than web dashboards. The talent pool includes ex-Waymo, Neuralink, and Tesla engineers.