Principal Motor Engineer

Matic Robots Inc.; Menlo Park (CA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Matic Robots Inc. in Menlo Park, CA, is seeking a Motor Design Expert to architect the actuators of its home robotics platform, delivering whisper-quiet, efficient motors scalable to 100k+ units/year.

You will own EM design through production, perform FEA, validate control algorithms, and collaborate across NVH, controls, and thermal teams to optimize performance, cost, and manufacturability.

Qualifications

• Technical degree in Electrical, Mechanical engineering, or Physics with electromagnetics focus.
• 5+ years designing motors for high-volume consumer products or automotive applications.
• Shipping BLDC, PMSM, or reluctance motor designs in products.
• Experience with motor simulation tools ANSYS Maxwell, JMAG, or Motor-CAD.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end motor architecture from electromagnetic design through production validation for all motorized subsystems.
• Design custom motor solutions optimizing for acoustic performance (<60dBA), efficiency (>85%), form factor, cost (<$15/unit), and scalability to 100k+ units/year.
• Perform electromagnetic FEA simulations for motor optimization including flux density, cogging torque, and back-EMF analysis.
• Select and validate motor control algorithms, drive electronics, and feedback systems for precise motion control.
• Develop motor specification requirements balancing torque density, thermal management, and acoustic emissions.
• Design accelerated life testing protocols specific to motor failure modes including bearing wear, insulation breakdown, and demagnetization.
• Collaborate with suppliers on custom rotor/stator designs, winding patterns, and manufacturing processes.
• Drive cost reduction initiatives through design optimization, material selection, and manufacturing process improvements.
• Work cross-functionally with NVH, controls, and thermal teams to achieve system-level optimization.

Skills

Motor design

Electromagnetics

Thermal dynamics

Rotordynamics

BLDC/PMSM/reluctance motors

FOC

Sensorless control

Acoustic optimization

Manufacturing integration

High-volume consumer products

Education

Electrical/Mechanical Engineering or Physics degree (electromagnetics focus)

Tools

ANSYS Maxwell

JMAG

Motor-CAD

Job description

Company Overview

Each year, 2.5 trillion hours are spent on household chores. At Matic, we’re on a mission to recapture that lost time, and we’re doing it by revolutionizing home robotics.

Our first product, also called Matic, is a Wall-E-esque floor cleaning robot. We've built what amounts to \"full self-driving in the home” with real-time 3D mapping, adaptive path-tracking, and a precise semantic understanding of the home. Our breakthroughs in spatial AI allow Matic to work reliably in real homes, using only RGB cameras and neural networks running on-device.

Privacy First

What happens in the home, stays in the home. Our robots are private by design, with all data processing performed by the robot itself, not in the cloud.

Our Approach

Before the iPhone, consumers adopted several distinct devices; cell phones, PDAs, and portable music players each served a particular need. We believe in a similar progression for home robotics, starting with single-purpose robots and building iteratively toward more complex capabilities over time.

Our Culture

Matic is a tight-knit and collaborative team, singularly focused on building products our customers will cherish. We're ultra-hardworking people committed to solving tough problems that save precious time and energy.

About the role

As a Motor Design Expert, you'll architect the actuators of our robotic systems - the motors that power every movement and action. You'll work at the intersection of electromagnetics, acoustics, and controls to create motors that are whisper-quiet, incredibly efficient, and manufacturable at scale.

If you're passionate about pushing the boundaries of motor technology and obsessed with achieving the impossible combination of performance, silence, and cost, we'd love to talk to you about how you can help us revolutionize home robotics.

What you'll do

• Own end-to-end motor architecture from electromagnetic design through production validation for all motorized subsystems

• Design custom motor solutions optimizing for acoustic performance (<60dBA), efficiency (>85%), form factor, cost (<$15/unit), and scalability to 100k+ units/year

• Perform electromagnetic FEA simulations for motor optimization including flux density, cogging torque, and back-EMF analysis

• Select and validate motor control algorithms, drive electronics, and feedback systems for precise motion control

• Develop motor specification requirements balancing torque density, thermal management, and acoustic emissions

• Design accelerated life testing protocols specific to motor failure modes including bearing wear, insulation breakdown, and demagnetization

• Collaborate with suppliers on custom rotor/stator designs, winding patterns, and manufacturing processes

• Drive cost reduction initiatives through design optimization, material selection, and manufacturing process improvements

• Work cross-functionally with NVH, controls, and thermal teams to achieve system-level optimization

What we look for

• Technical degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Physics with focus on electromagnetics

• 5+ years of experience designing motors for high-volume consumer products or automotive applications

• Deep understanding of motor physics including electromagnetics, thermal dynamics, and rotordynamics

• Proven track record of shipping custom BLDC, PMSM, or reluctance motor designs in products

• Experience with motor simulation tools such as ANSYS Maxwell, JMAG, or Motor-CAD

• Expertise in motor control theory including FOC, sensorless control, and active vibration damping

• Understanding of acoustic principles related to motor design including slot/pole combinations and skewing techniques

• Experience with bearing systems, lubrication, and tribology for long-life applications

• Familiarity with motor manufacturing processes including winding, magnetization, and balancing

• Knowledge of safety standards and certifications (UL, CE) for motor-driven appliances

• Comfort with fast-paced, startup atmosphere -- you don't shy away from the hard work

• High level of maturity, ownership, and pride in your work

We'd love to hear from you if...

• You are genuinely motivated to help those around you

• You are passionate about learning outside of your normal comfort zones

• You love diagnosing complex technical issues

• You are excited to do great work

Compensation:

Base: $160,000 - $240,000 per annum.

Actual Compensation will depend on skills, experience and qualifications. Base Salary is one part of the total compensation package. The role is also eligible for equity through the company’s discretionary equity program, along with a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental and vision coverage access to a 401(k) plan.