Electrical Engineer, Driver Design & Motor Control

Foundation Robotics Lab; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Vision insurance

Dental insurance

401k

Equity

Job summary

Foundation Robotics Lab in San Francisco is seeking an Electrical Engineer to lead driver design and motor control for humanoid hand robotics. You will own end-to-end PCB design, motor driver circuits, and embedded systems integration, working closely with firmware and mechanical teams.

The role emphasizes high-reliability hardware, power electronics, and rigorous design-for-manufacturing practices. A bachelor's or master's in EE is required, with strong hands-on skills in motor control and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• Proven track record in embedded systems design in compact, high-rel environments.
• Experience designing motor driver circuits (gate drivers, H-Bridge topologies, FOC).
• Familiarity with sensor integration and EMI/EMC considerations.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end PCB design for robotic hand controllers, including schematics, layout, and BOM.
• Design motor driver and motor controller circuits for various motor types used in hand joints.
• Evaluate and integrate motor driver ICs and power stages (gate drivers, H-bridges, FOC).
• Develop sensors (force/tactile, IMUs) and embed them in systems with tight size/reliability requirements.
• Design embedded systems and mixed-signal circuits (MCUs, FPGAs, sensors, power, comms).
• Perform board bring-up, validation, and debugging.
• Guide junior engineers and review schematics/layout work.
• Interface with firmware to define board APIs and hardware abstraction.
• Drive DFM, DFT, and EMC improvements as designs move to production.

Skills

Motor driver design

Embedded systems

PCB design

Schematic capture

Power electronics

Sensor integration

MCU/FPGA

DFM/DFT/EMC

Signal integrity

Altium/KiCad/Cadence

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Altium Designer

KiCad

Cadence

Job description

Electrical Engineer, Driver Design & Motor Control

Our mission is to create advanced robots that can operate in complex environments, reducing human risk in conflict zones and enhancing efficiency in labor-intensive industries.

We are on the lookout for extraordinary engineers and scientists to join our team. Your previous experience in robotics isn't a prerequisite - it's your talent and determination that truly count.

We expect that many of our team members will bring diverse perspectives from various industries and fields. We are looking for individuals with a proven record of exceptional ability and a history of creating things that work.

Our Culture

We like to be frank and honest about who we are, so that people can decide for themselves if this is a culture they resonate with. Please read more about our culture here https://foundation.bot/culture.

Who should join:

• You like working in person with a team in San Francisco.
• You deeply believe that this is the most important mission for humanity and needs to happen yesterday.
• You are highly technical - regardless of the role you are in. We are building technology; you need to understand technology well.
• You care about aesthetics and design inside out. If it's not the best product ever, it bothers you, and you need to “fix” it.
• You don't need someone to motivate you; you get things done.

Why We Are Hiring

We are taking on one of the hardest unsolved problems in robotics: building hands that actually work like human hands. As a Senior Electrical Engineer on our Humanoid Hands Team you will design the motor driver circuits, embedded systems, and custom PCBs that bring true dexterous manipulation to life in the real world. Humanoid or robotic hand experience is not required, what matters is strong motor driver and embedded systems expertise and a passion for building hardware that has never existed before.

What You Will Do:

• Own end-to-end PCB design for robotic hand controllers including schematics, layout, and BOM selection.
• Design and develop motor driver and motor controller circuits for BLDC, brushed, and stepper motors used in hand joints and tendon-driven systems.
• Evaluate and integrate motor driver ICs and power stages including gate drivers, H-bridges, and FOC controllers.
• Develop custom force and tactile sensors with aggressive size and reliability requirements.
• Design embedded systems and mixed-signal circuits (MCUs, FPGAs, sensors, power, communications).
• Perform board bring-up, validation, and debugging.
• Guide junior engineers and review schematic and layout work.
• Interface with firmware engineers to define board-level APIs and support hardware abstraction.
• Drive DFM, DFT, and EMC improvements as designs move to production.

What We Are Looking For:

• Strong motor driver and embedded systems background is what matters most. Robotics or humanoid experience is a plus but absolutely not required - we welcome engineers from aerospace, medical devices, automotive, defense, or any field where you have designed high-reliability compact hardware.
• Proven track record designing embedded systems (MCUs, DSPs, or FPGAs) in compact, high-reliability environments.
• Hands-on experience designing motor driver and motor controller circuits including gate drivers, H-bridge topologies, FOC controllers, and power stage design for BLDC, brushed, or stepper motors.
• Experience with sensor integration (IMUs, force/tactile, encoders), motor control, and power electronics.
• Strong debugging skills with oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and JTAG tools.
• Proficiency in Altium Designer, KiCad, or Cadence.
• Solid understanding of signal integrity, thermal management, and power distribution for compact electronics.
• Familiarity with firmware interactions and embedded C/C++ is a plus.
• Exposure to safety standards (IEC, ISO) and EMI/EMC compliance testing.
• Bachelor's or Master's in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• We provide market standard benefits (health, vision, dental, 401k, etc.) and equity. Join us for the culture and the mission, not for the benefits.
• The annual compensation is expected to be between $180,000 - $300,000. Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and location.