Head of Engineering Lisboa

Head of Engineering
Lisboa
Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal

Head of Engineering – Hardware, Firmware & Systems

Lisbon, Portugal (Hybrid/Flexible)

Full-time | Executive | Hands-On Leadership

About Paper
Weight AI

At Paper
Weight AI, we're transforming retail infrastructure with
- thin, intelligent shelf sensors. Our
- based,
- free platform turns every shelf into a
- generating Io
T device and delivers
- time inventory visibility—without shelf replacements, environmental compromise, or complex installs.

We’re looking for a
- on Head of Engineering to own our full technology stack — from embedded electronics to cloud infrastructure — and lead the transition from working prototype to scalable global product.

What You’ll Own

You’ll be the technical owner of our integrated product stack: driving system architecture, managing
- functional teams, and ensuring
- class performance from sensor to cloud.

Project & Engineering Leadership

• Own technical delivery across hardware, embedded systems, cloud infrastructure, and AI integration
• Build and lead a lean,
  - disciplinary engineering team
• Translate business needs into scoped,
  - driven engineering roadmaps
• Manage external vendors, suppliers, and installation partners

Hardware, Firmware & System Architecture

• Lead design and optimization of
  - power PCBs, sensor integration, and
  - efficient systems
• Develop or guide embedded firmware (STM32/ESP32 or similar) — BLE, OTA updates, deep sleep cycles
• Validate and improve system performance, reliability, and manufacturability
• Lead signal acquisition from force, pressure, or weight sensors; guide conditioning, filtering, and calibration
• Drive
  - stage algorithm development for sensor event detection and system intelligence

Manufacturing & Deployment

• Pilot runs, component sourcing, and testing protocols
• Oversee quality control, supplier management, and field deployment procedures
• Build scalable support for OTA updates, remote diagnostics, and product maintenance
• Lead the transition from prototype to
  - ready hardware, including DFM, cost optimization, and yield considerations

Software, Cloud & AI Integration

• Support and interface with software and AI teams to ensure smooth system integration
• Guide architecture of
  - cloud data pipelines, telemetry, and APIs

What We’re Looking For

Required:

• Degree in Electrical, Embedded Systems, or Computer Engineering
• Experience working in a startup or
  - driven environment with limited resources, tight timelines, and shifting priorities
• Experience delivering
  - based systems, including embedded design and firmware
• Proven experience shipping
  - world connected products, not just managing software orgs
• Familiarity with Io
  T/cloud architecture (MQTT, databases, APIs, telemetry systems)
• Strong project management and team leadership skills

Bonus:

• Experience with printed or flexible electronics
• Exposure to AI/ML integration, sensor fusion, or analytics pipelines
• Experience managing cloud deployment, Dev
  Ops, or edge/cloud coordination
• Comfortable reading/writing code in Python, Node. js, or embedded C

Who You Are

- You bring an entrepreneurial mentality — resourceful, accountable, and
- focused

- You’re equally comfortable in the office and in the field , from strategy to
- on installs

- You can lead and manage teams, but have demonstrated individual technical excellence on
- on projects

- You’ve led hardware products from breadboard to BOM to field deployment

- You think in systems: how a signal becomes insight, and how insight becomes action