Job Type: Full-time
Salary: Negotiable
Youth Innovation Lab (YI-Lab) is a not-for-profit civic tech company that works at the intersection of emerging cutting-edge technological tools and their applications by equipping young professionals to solve emerging challenges in our community. YI-Lab’s mission statement is, ‘to engage young people to bridge science to people and policy through innovation’. YI-Lab harnesses indigenous knowledge, citizen science approach, develops low-cost technological solutions, promotes open data, promotes entrepreneurship, and conducts evidence-based advocacy campaigns. YI-Lab provides a conducive environment for young people to co-create solutions for inclusive development.
About the project
RiskAI (Beta1.0) is an agentic, AI-powered climate and disaster risk intelligence platform designed to translate complex hazard, climate, and disaster data into localized, actionable insights for decision-makers, schools, and communities in Nepal. Built as the country’s first modular RiskAI architecture, the platform integrates existing national and global datasets such as historical disaster records, hazard maps, and climate data and presents them through role-based, user-friendly outputs.
YI-Lab invites dynamic and enthusiastic Nepali citizens to apply for the following position.
Role Summary
The Hardware Developer will lead the design, prototyping, and deployment of low-cost environmental sensing hardware for the RiskAI (Beta1.0) pilot. The role focuses on developing reliable, field-ready heat and air-pollution sensors suitable for school and community environments in Nepal. Working closely with software, AI, and field teams, the Hardware Developer will ensure accurate data collection, efficient power use, and seamless integration with the RiskAI platform. This position requires hands-on experimentation, field testing, and iterative improvement to support scalable, resilient, and locally appropriate hardware solutions. This assignment is a short-term consultancy for a total of 20 working days, to be delivered over the period from December 2025 to March 2026.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Electronics Engineering, Mechatronics, Embedded Systems, or related field
- Minimum 4–5 years of experience in hardware or IoT system development
- Strong experience with:
- Environmental sensors (temperature, air quality, PM, etc.)
- Microcontrollers (e.g. ESP32, Arduino, STM32 or similar)
- Embedded programming (C/C++, MicroPython or similar)
- Proven ability to design and deploy low-cost, field-ready hardware
- Strong analytical and critical thinking skills
Key Duties and Responsibilities
A. Sensor & Hardware System Design
Design and prototype low-cost heat and air-pollution sensing devices suitable for indoor and outdoor school environments.
Select appropriate sensors, microcontrollers, communication modules, and power systems based on cost, accuracy, and reliability.
Develop hardware architectures that support scalability and future replication.
B. Embedded Systems & Firmware
Develop and optimize firmware for sensor data acquisition, preprocessing, and transmission.
Ensure reliable data logging, timestamping, and calibration.
Implement power-efficient operation for long-term deployment.
C. Connectivity & Platform Integration
Enable secure data transmission to backend systems and the RiskAI platform (e.g. via Wi-Fi, GSM, or LoRa where applicable).
Collaborate with backend and AI teams to ensure sensor data is usable for analytics and AI-driven insights.
Support API and data format alignment between hardware and software systems.
D. Field Deployment & Testing
Install sensors in partner schools and pilot locations.
Conduct field testing to validate accuracy, durability, and performance in real-world conditions.
Troubleshoot hardware and connectivity issues during deployment and pilot phases.
E. Quality, Safety & Reliability
Ensure hardware meets basic safety, durability, and environmental standards for school use.
Develop simple enclosure designs to protect sensors from weather, dust, and tampering.
Implement calibration and validation procedures to maintain data quality.
F. Sprint-Based Experimentation & Problem Solving
Contribute to sprint planning by defining hardware development tasks and testing milestones.
Rapidly iterate prototypes based on field feedback and data performance.
Identify risks (cost, accuracy, maintenance) and propose mitigation strategies.
G. Documentation & Knowledge Transfer
Prepare clear hardware documentation, including schematics, BOMs, assembly guides, and maintenance instructions.
Support reporting requirements by documenting design decisions, limitations, and lessons learned.
Train local partners or team members on basic operation and maintenance, where required.
A. Sensor & Hardware System Design
Design and prototype low-cost heat and air-pollution sensing devices suitable for indoor and outdoor school environments.
Select appropriate sensors, microcontrollers, communication modules, and power systems based on cost, accuracy, and reliability.
Develop hardware architectures that support scalability and future replication.
B. Embedded Systems & Firmware
Develop and optimize firmware for sensor data acquisition, preprocessing, and transmission.
Ensure reliable data logging, timestamping, and calibration.
Implement power-efficient operation for long-term deployment.
C. Connectivity & Platform Integration
Enable secure data transmission to backend systems and the RiskAI platform (e.g. via Wi-Fi, GSM, or LoRa where applicable).
Collaborate with backend and AI teams to ensure sensor data is usable for analytics and AI-driven insights.
Support API and data format alignment between hardware and software systems.
D. Field Deployment & Testing
Install sensors in partner schools and pilot locations.
Conduct field testing to validate accuracy, durability, and performance in real-world conditions.
Troubleshoot hardware and connectivity issues during deployment and pilot phases.
E. Quality, Safety & Reliability
Ensure hardware meets basic safety, durability, and environmental standards for school use.
Develop simple enclosure designs to protect sensors from weather, dust, and tampering.
Implement calibration and validation procedures to maintain data quality.
F. Sprint-Based Experimentation & Problem Solving
Contribute to sprint planning by defining hardware development tasks and testing milestones.
Rapidly iterate prototypes based on field feedback and data performance.
Identify risks (cost, accuracy, maintenance) and propose mitigation strategies.
G. Documentation & Knowledge Transfer
Prepare clear hardware documentation, including schematics, BOMs, assembly guides, and maintenance instructions.
Support reporting requirements by documenting design decisions, limitations, and lessons learned.
Train local partners or team members on basic operation and maintenance, where required.
Applying Procedure
We highly encourage all interested applicants, especially youth and young professionals and candidates from discriminated groups (women, Dalit, Janajati, Madhesi, and other minority communities) to apply. We are having interviews on a rolling basis and encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible.
Only shortlisted candidates will be called for an interview.
Deadline for Submission: 17 Dec 2025.
Please click on Apply Now! button to submit your application. For more information on Youth Innovation Lab, please visit https://youthinnovationlab.org and if you have any inquiries, please contact at info@youthinnovationlab.org.
