Lead Perception Hardware Engineer Vision Systems Validation

Apptronik; Austin (TX); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Apptronik is seeking a Staff Perception Hardware Engineer to lead the physical hardware development of Apollo’s perception stack. You will own end‑to‑end integration of high‑speed camera systems, optics, and data links on a moving humanoid platform, ensuring targets for FOV, thermal, and mechanical stability are met in production hardware.

You will architect bring‑up, validation, and calibration plans, perform on‑robot ISP tuning, and drive cross‑functional decisions with software, mechanical,

Qualifications

• Shipped complex perception hardware from breadboard to mass production.
• Experience with custom sensor modules and vendor collaboration.
• Hands-on troubleshooting with advanced test equipment and EMI/grounding issues.
• Deep CMOS sensor tuning and optical artifact mitigation.
• Strong math and 3D geometry understanding for multi-camera fusion.

Responsibilities

• End‑to‑End System Execution: lead physical integration and ensure production‑ready camera assemblies meet targets.
• Custom Module Development & Vendor Execution: define specs and manage external vendors/CMs.
• Custom Bring‑Up & Validation Plans: architect bring‑up, DVT and EOL test plans for modules.
• Hands‑on ISP Tuning & IQ Validation: tune exposure, white balance, tone mapping on robot.
• High‑Speed Bring‑up & Deep Debugging: lead electrical bring‑up and signal integrity debugging.
• Synchronization Execution: ensure sub‑microsecond timing across cameras, LiDAR, IMUs.
• Calibration & Fixture Deployment: design and deploy calibration fixtures and algorithms.
• Cross‑Functional Adjudication (DfX): align ID, Mechanical and Thermal teams during testing.
• Technical Leadership & Mentorship: guide teams and drive root‑cause analysis.

Skills

Shipped product focus

Vendor management

Hands-on troubleshooting

Optical & image physics

System-level calibration

Influence across teams

Agility

Education

Master or Ph.D. in Electrical/Optical/CE

Tools

High-bandwidth oscilloscopes

Logic analyzers

TDRs

Job description

Apptronik is a human-centered robotics company developing AI-powered robots to support humanity in every facet of life. Our flagship humanoid robot, Apollo, is built to collaborate thoughtfully with people, starting with critical industries such as manufacturing and logistics, with future applications in healthcare, the home, and beyond.

We operate at the cutting edge of Applied AI, applying our expertise across the full robotics stack to solve some of society's most important problems. You will join a team dedicated to bringing Apollo to market at scale, tackling the complex challenges like safety, commercialization, and mass production to change the world for the better.

JOB SUMMARY

Apptronik is seeking a Staff Perception Hardware Engineer to serve as the execution leader for Apollo’s perception hardware systems. While others may draw the block diagrams, you are the engineer responsible for making sure the physical hardware actually works, scales, and ships.

At the Staff level, you will tackle the most complex, multi-disciplinary bottlenecks in the perception stack. You will lead the hands-on integration, aggressive troubleshooting, and physical validation of high-performance cameras, complex optics, and multi-gigabit data links on a moving, vibrating humanoid. You will act as the "boots-on-the-ground" technical authority, leading cross-functional engineering efforts through critical design phases, system bring-up, custom hardware development, ISP tuning, and manufacturing deployment to ensure Apollo perceives the world with unmatched clarity.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES or KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• End-to-End System Execution: Lead the physical integration of the robot’s visual perception stack. Drive the transition from prototype designs to fully validated, production-ready camera assemblies, ensuring all FOV, thermal, and mechanical stability targets are met on the physical hardware.
• Custom Module Development & Vendor Execution: When off-the-shelf components fall short, define the electrical, optical, and mechanical specifications for custom sensor modules. Drive external optical vendors and contract manufacturers (CMs) through the build process, ensuring strict adherence to Apptronik’s standards.
• Custom Bring-Up & Validation Plans: Architect and own the comprehensive bring-up, DVT (Design Verification Testing), and End-of-Line (EOL) test plans for all custom-built sensor modules, ensuring they are rigorously validated before they ever integrate into the humanoid platform.
• Hands-on ISP Tuning & IQ Validation: Take ownership of the image quality (IQ) on the actual robot. Perform deep, hands-on ISP tuning (auto-exposure, white balance, tone mapping) in real-world environments to ensure the camera data satisfies both the strict requirements of machine learning models and the low-latency needs of human teleoperators.
• High-Speed Bring-up & Deep Debugging: Lead the electrical bring-up and validation of the multi-gigabit video backbone (e.g., GMSL2/3, FPD-Link). Serve as the ultimate escalation point for complex, system-level EMI/EMC debugging, using high-speed oscilloscopes and analyzers to track down frame drops and signal integrity issues across dynamic robot joints.
• Synchronization Execution: Implement and rigorously measure the hardware-level synchronization across cameras, LiDAR, and IMUs. Prove out sub-microsecond timing accuracy on the physical robot using oscilloscopes and custom test fixtures to guarantee pristine data for visual-inertial odometry (VIO).
• Calibration & Fixture Deployment: Design, build, and deploy the physical calibration fixtures and algorithms used to align the optical system. Troubleshoot and resolve complex intrinsic/extrinsic drift issues, ensuring the calibration process scales reliably from the R&D lab to the factory floor.
• Cross-Functional Adjudication (DfX): Act as the technical adjudicator in the lab between Industrial Design (ID), Mechanical, and Thermal teams. Drive physical testing and prototyping to resolve conflicts between Apollo's iconic A-surface aesthetics, sensor FOV constraints, and thermal dissipation needs.
• Technical Leadership & Mentorship: Lead complex, cross-functional problem-solving efforts to resolve critical "line-down" or "launch-blocking" hardware bugs. Mentor senior and junior engineers in the lab, establishing a culture of rigorous physical testing and root-cause analysis.

SKILLS AND REQUIREMENTS

• Shipped Product Focus: A proven track record of taking complex perception hardware—including custom-defined sensor modules—from the breadboard phase all the way through DVT and into mass production.
• Vendor Management: Proven experience working directly with optical vendors, CMOS manufacturers, and CMs to define, build, and test custom camera or sensor modules.
• Hands-On Troubleshooting Mastery: Expert-level proficiency with high-end lab equipment (high-bandwidth oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, TDRs). You have a "sixth sense" for tracking down ground loops, EMI noise, and intermittent signal integrity issues.
• Deep Optical & Image Physics: Deep practical understanding of CMOS sensor tuning, optical lens artifacts (flare, ghosting, distortion), and how to physically mitigate them within tight mechanical enclosures.
• System-Level Math & Calibration: Mastery of the linear algebra and 3D geometry underlying multi-camera arrays, stereo baselines, and visual-inertial sensor fusion, with the ability to write scripts (Python/C++) to validate these models on real hardware.
• Drive Through Influence: Exceptional ability to lead technical initiatives and align cross-functional stakeholders (Software, ID, and ME) without direct reporting authority, using empirical data from the lab to drive decisions.
• Agility: Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-growth environment where "perfect" is the enemy of "shipped," knowing exactly when a design is robust enough for the real world.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• Experience: Master or Ph.D degree in Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field with 8+ years of hands-on experience integrating and shipping complex vision hardware systems for robotics, autonomous vehicles, or advanced AR/VR platforms.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• Must be able to lift 15 pounds at times
• Vision to read printed materials and a computer screen
• Hearing and speech to communicate

*This is a direct hire. Please, no outside Agency solicitations.

Apptronik provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

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