Senior Motors Engineer

CHIRP Robotics Corporation; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

CHIRP Robotics in Torrance, CA is hiring a Senior Motor Engineer to design small PM brushless motors for precision gimbals and propulsion. You will own motor performance, manufacturability, and the transition to high-volume production, collaborating with controls, electrical, mechanical, and manufacturing teams.

You will lead electromagnetic and mechanical design, prototyping, testing, and validation, while developing scalable supply chains and guiding in-house machining to meet production

Qualifications

• Hands-on PM motor development from prototype to production ramp.
• Experience with permanent-magnet brushless motors and magnetic design.
• Strong background in EMI/thermal limits and windings.

Responsibilities

• Design and optimize gimbal and propulsion motors for torque, efficiency, weight, and cost.
• Lead electromagnetic and mechanical design, testing, and validation.
• Oversee transition to high-volume production including tooling and capacity.
• Qualify suppliers for magnets, laminations, windings, bearings, and machined parts.
• Supervise in-house machining and guide machinists on tolerances and drawings.
• Collaborate with controls engineers on motor drives and feedback.
• Own design documentation and engineering changes; mentor engineers.

Skills

PM brushless motor design

EM field theory

CAD and tolerancing

prototype testing & characterization

production ramp ownership

supplier qualification & management

three-phase inverter knowledge

Python/MATLAB for optimization

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Equivalent experience in lieu of degree

Tools

Ansys Maxwell

JMAG

Motor-CAD

CAD software (SolidWorks/Creo)

Job description

We are seeking a Senior Motor Engineer to design small brushless DC motors for precision gimbals and propulsion systems and lead their transition from prototypes to high-volume production. You will own motor performance and manufacturability, develop scalable supply chains, and supervise in-house machining in close collaboration with controls, electrical, mechanical, and manufacturing teams.

Responsibilities

• Design and optimize gimbal and propulsion motors for torque, smoothness, efficiency, weight, reliability, and cost
• Lead electromagnetic and mechanical design, simulation, prototyping, and performance validation
• Own the transition to high-volume production, including process development, automation, tooling, production capacity, yield, and end-of-line testing
• Develop and qualify suppliers for magnets, laminations, windings, bearings, and machined components; manage technical requirements, quality, lead times, and supply continuity
• Supervise in-house machining of motor components, guiding machinists on drawings, tolerances, fixtures, inspection, and production priorities
• Partner with controls and electrical engineers on motor drives and feedback; resolve qualification and production failures
• Own design documentation and engineering changes, and mentor engineers through development and production ramp

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience
• 7+ years of relevant experience, including hands-on permanent-magnet brushless motor development and ownership through production ramp
• Strong understanding of motor electromagnetics, saturation, windings, back EMF, torque constants, losses, and thermal limits
• Proficiency with electromagnetic FEA tools such as Ansys Maxwell, JMAG, or Motor-CAD, including model validation against test data
• Experience with motor mechanical and thermal design, CAD, drawings, tolerancing, and machining; ability to guide machinists and inspect components
• Hands-on experience prototyping, testing, characterizing, and troubleshooting motors
• Working knowledge of three-phase inverters, commutation, field-oriented control, and position feedback to support collaboration with drive and controls engineers
• Experience transferring motors or electromechanical products to volume production, qualifying suppliers, and managing component quality and supply constraints

Desired Qualifications

• Experience designing small outrunner motors for UAV propulsion or direct-drive gimbal motors for precision positioning and stabilization
• Experience reducing cogging torque, torque ripple, acoustic noise, and vibration through electromagnetic and mechanical design
• Experience with winding equipment and processes, lamination fabrication, insulation systems, permanent-magnet handling and bonding, and rotor balancing
• Experience scaling motor production to very high volumes, including automated assembly and testing, capacity planning, process capability, yield improvement, and supplier capacity development
• Experience with encoder integration, motor and controller co-optimization, and system-level stabilization or propulsion testing
• Experience with environmental qualification and accelerated life testing for aerospace, robotics, or other demanding applications
• Experience using Python, MATLAB, or similar tools for design optimization, test automation, and data analysis

Company Overview

CHIRP Robotics is a well-funded seed-stage startup operating in stealth mode and based in Torrance, California. The company aims to become a leading U.S. provider of modular intelligence and autonomous systems for a wide range of vehicles and applications. It has an impressive portfolio of patents on the hardware side and IP in software / algorithms. CHIRP’s CEO, a founding member of SpaceX, brings extensive technical expertise, a strong professional network, and significant business leadership experience.

Why Join Us

• Opportunity to work on innovative and complex systems
• Hands-on experience with a broad range of engineering challenges
• Collaborative and growth-oriented work environment
• Competitive salary and benefits package

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.