Development Technician
About Tau Power conversion is the bottleneck between the compute, energy, and mobility industries and the future they're trying to build. Most of the industry is still solving it with decades-old approaches. Tau is fixing that. We're a venture-backed hardtech company in Redwood City, building power conversion technology for data centers, EVs, and energy systems. Several products are already moving into production.
We hire people who own problems end-to-end: power electronics, embedded software, controls, test and validation, mechanical design. We solve from first principles, not legacy playbooks. We're past "promising technology." Customers are buying, volume is coming, and the people who join now set the standard everyone builds on after.
Who you are
You genuinely like being useful in the moment something is needed, not after. You move between building, fixing, organizing, and troubleshooting without losing the thread on any of them. Context-switching doesn't drain you, it's part of what makes the job interesting.
You take pride in things being right: the torque spec followed, the bench wired cleanly, the inventory actually matching what's on the shelf. You raise the standard for the people around you, and you fix what's broken instead of waiting for it to be someone else's job.
You reprioritize when requirements shift, without losing momentum. Ambiguity about what's next doesn't bother you, and you enjoy finding the highest-leverage thing and doing it.
Our Engineering Approach
Innovation shows what's possible. Disciplined engineering creates products. Creative ideas matter only when they become reliable, manufacturable products that solve customer problems.
Think in systems. Optimize the product before the subsystem. Make tradeoffs that improve the complete system.
Engineering judgment matters. Apply the rigor the risk requires. Decide when enough evidence exists—and change course when better evidence emerges.
Design for reality. Design for manufacturing, validation, reliability, serviceability, safety, and cost from the beginning.
Raise the standard. Leave the products, engineering systems, and people around you better than you found them.
About the role
The best labs have someone everyone relies on, and almost nobody has to ask for. The bench is built before it's needed. The tool is where you left it. The fixture works the first time because someone thought it through in advance. That's this role.
You're not a support function bolted onto engineering; you're inside it. You'll build prototypes, build the benches and infrastructure engineers work on, keep the lab in a state where anyone can walk in and get to work, and support validation from setup through teardown. When five things need attention at once, that's a normal Tuesday, not a crisis.
No hand-off delays. No waiting on someone else to get the lab ready. You will not be measured by how busy you are, but by how much engineering moves faster because you’re here.
Areas of ownership
Prototype assembly and bench building
Build prototype powertrains, subassemblies, fixtures, and test benches from engineering intent
Support first builds alongside engineers
Catch assembly issues early and flag practical fixes, not just problems
Capture build observations that make the next design better
Engineering test support
Prepare hardware for validation: instrumentation, wiring, plumbing, sensors, mechanical integration
Support commissioning, debugging, and engineering investigations
Operate lab equipment during development activities
Lab readiness
Keep the lab organized, clean, and safe as a default state, not a cleanup event
Manage inventory, consumables, fixtures, and prototype materials
Prepare equipment and work areas ahead of need
Support purchasing, receiving, and material organization
Find and fix the small workflow frictions that slow engineering down
Equipment and tool stewardship
Maintain lab equipment and prototype hardware: routine maintenance, inspection, calibration, minor repair
Catch equipment issues before they interrupt someone's build
Improve equipment documentation and operating procedures
Cross-functional support
Work directly with Mechanical, Electrical, Test Systems, Manufacturing, and Program Management
Translate engineering intent into high-quality builds
Communicate build issues, risks, and observations clearly and early
Technical foundation
You'll likely have working knowledge of some mix of the following. We're less interested in checking every box than in judgment and hands-on capability.
Mechanical assembly of electromechanical systems
Precision measurement and inspection equipment
Reading engineering drawings, assembly documentation, basic GD&T
Hand tools, shop equipment, lab equipment
Fastener installation and torque practices
Wiring, plumbing, tubing, prototype integration
Safe lab practices
Inventory and material organization
Basic calibration, equipment maintenance, troubleshooting
Experience
Relevant background helps: automotive, aerospace, robotics, industrial equipment, manufacturing, R&D labs, motorsports, or similar hands-on environments. Technical training, apprenticeship, military technical experience, or an associate's degree are all reasonable paths in.
We're open to candidates across experience levels and backgrounds. If you can point to something you built, fixed, or kept running and are proud of the standard you held yourself to, we want to talk to you.
What success looks like in year one
Engineers trust the hardware you build, without double-checking it
The lab runs better because you're in it, organization, tooling, documentation, all up a notch
You've caught problems before they cost someone else a day
People come to you when something needs to get done right and fast
Compensation and Benefits
US Salary Information
$65,000 - $173,000 Tau is committed to paying competitive compensation that is fair and equitable. Your experience, qualifications, training, critical skills, and/or business considerations determine your compensation. We also offer a comprehensive benefits package that may include an annual performance bonus, equity, and other incentive compensation plans considered part of Tau’s total compensation package. To learn more about our top-tier benefits, please visit www.taumotors.com . The level will depend on the candidate’s experience. Our ideal candidate exhibits a can-do attitude and approaches his or her work with vigor and determination. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate excellence in their respective fields and possess the ability to learn quickly within a fast-paced environment.
Perks
Become part of an emerging company during a rapid growth phase—within an industry undergoing dramatic transformation for a global imperative.
Work with some of the smartest and most talented experts from different fields to: (1) attack some of the most pressing issues of today while (2) contributing to technically demanding and deeply innovative solutions.
Growth potential—we advance team members who have an outsized impact.
Competitive compensation based upon experience level, including stock options—we believe in capturing value in the future we create together.
Flexible time off and paid holidays.
Centrally located in the Bay Area on the Peninsula in vibrant downtown Redwood City
Blocks from the Caltrain
Walking distance to food and entertainment
Easy access to both the 101 and 280
Excellent medical, dental, vision & life insurance
Comprehensive benefits including 401(k), HSA and FSA benefits, commuter benefits and more
Equal Opportunity Employer
Tau is an equal opportunity employer that guarantees a work environment that respects and values diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
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