Principal Compute & Sensing Engineer, Robotics

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

Job summary

Apptronik, a Austin, TX-based robotics company, seeks a Principal Compute & Sensing Engineer to lead the hardware architecture of Apollo’s compute and sensing backbone. You will architect end-to-end safety-conscious compute systems, select core processing elements, and ensure robust integration of perception sensors for high-performance operation.

You will drive multi-disciplinary design reviews, mentor engineers, and push for reliability and manufacturability in a fast-paced robotics

Qualifications

• Proven track record designing custom carrier boards for NVIDIA Jetson or similar high-end compute modules.
• Mastery of high-speed digital design (PCIe, DDR4/5, GMSL, 10GbE).
• Experience integrating multi-sensor suites with precise hardware-level time synchronization.
• Hands-on experience with Functional Safety architecture (ISO 26262 or equivalent).

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end design of Apollo’s safe compute architecture and select core processing elements.
• Lead PCB design and validation for high-performance modules, manage PDN, thermal dissipation, and signal integrity.
• Drive design for manufacturability and reliability for compute modules in a mobile humanoid robot.
• Define electrical architecture for a full perception stack (LiDAR, depth cameras, IMUs, tactile sensors).
• Architect high-bandwidth data pipelines and synchronization for sensor fusion.
• Design hardware-level fail-safe systems and BIT for safety in human-occupied environments.
• Implement robust hardware diagnostics for real-time health monitoring of compute and sensing backbone.

Skills

NVIDIA Jetson carrier boards

High-speed digital design

Functional Safety ISO 26262

Sensor time synchronization

Education

MS or PhD in Electrical/Computer Engineering

Tools

Altium Designer

SPICE/Ansys/HyperLynx

Job description

Principal Electrical Engineer - Compute and Sensing

Austin, TX

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 world-class Principal Compute & Sensing Engineer to serve as the lead architect for the "nervous system" of the Apollo humanoid robot. This is a top-tier technical role for an expert who can design and implement the high-performance compute and sensory backbone required for general-purpose robotics. You will be responsible for the end-to-end hardware architecture—from NVIDIA Jetson-based carrier designs to the electrical integration of complex perception suites—ensuring that Apollo is powerful, redundant, and functionally safe.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES or KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Primary Architect: Own the end-to-end design of Apollo’s safe compute architecture. Select core processing elements (SoCs, FPGAs, MCUs) and design system-level redundancy to meet real-time performance requirements.
• High-Performance PCB Design: Lead the design and validation of custom carrier boards for high-performance modules (e.g., NVIDIA Jetson). Expertly manage power delivery networks (PDN), thermal dissipation strategies, and high-speed signal integrity for complex interfaces.
• Manufacturing & Reliability: Drive Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Design for Reliability (DFR) for compute modules, ensuring they can withstand the high-vibration and dynamic thermal environments of a mobile humanoid robot.
• Multi-Modal Sensing: Define the electrical architecture for a full perception stack, including LiDAR, depth cameras, IMUs, and tactile sensors.
• Data Pipeline Optimization: Architect the high-bandwidth pipelines and synchronization protocols required for sensor fusion. Manage complex communication interfaces (GigE, GMSL2, USB 3.0, MIPI) to ensure low-latency data delivery to the perception software.
• Safety Architecture: Drive the physical and logical architecture decisions required to meet Functional Safety standards Fail-Safe Systems: Design hardware-level redundancy, fail-safe mechanisms, and Built-In Tests (BIT) to achieve required safety integrity levels (ASIL/SIL) for operation in human-occupied environments.
• Diagnostics: Implement robust hardware diagnostics to monitor the health of the compute and sensing backbone in real-time.
• Multi-Generational Roadmap: Define the long-term technical roadmap for Apollo’s compute and sensing evolution, identifying emerging technologies (e.g., new SoCs or sensor modalities) that will keep Apptronik at the cutting edge.
• Cross-Functional Influence: Act as the ultimate technical authority on compute/sensing during design reviews with the Controls, Perception, and Systems Engineering teams.
• Mentorship: Provide deep technical mentorship to electrical and embedded engineers, fostering a culture of rigorous engineering and innovation without the burden of administrative management.

SKILLS AND REQUIREMENTS

• Expertise: * Proven track record of designing custom carrier boards for NVIDIA Jetson or similar high-end compute modules.
  • Mastery of high-speed digital design (PCIe, DDR4/5, GMSL, 10GbE).
  • Experience integrating multi-sensor suites with precise hardware-level time synchronization.
  • Hands-on experience with Functional Safety architecture (ISO 26262 or equivalent).
• Tools: Proficiency with Altium Designer (or similar) and hardware simulation tools (SPICE, Ansys, or HyperLynx).

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• Education: M.S. or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience: 12+ years of experience in high-performance hardware design, with a focus on robotics, autonomous vehicles, or aerospace.

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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