Staff Electrical Engineer (Actuators)

Foundation Robotics Labs Inc.; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Foundation Robotics Labs Inc. seeks an experienced electrical engineer to own the electrical architecture of actuators, from concept through production, driving efficiency, reliability, and scalable performance.

The role spans motor controls, power electronics, embedded systems, sensing, and hardware integration, collaborating with mechanical, firmware, and manufacturing engineers to create high‑performance actuator platforms.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional experience in motor controls, power electronics, or related fields.
• Degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, or related field; Ph.D. a plus.
• Experience designing motor controllers or power electronics for precision robotics.
• Strong inverter topology, current sensing, and control algorithm knowledge.
• Proven embedded systems skills from SoC selection to firmware integration.
• Experience with thermal and electrical efficiency optimization in high-performance systems.
• Familiarity with MATLAB/Simulink and circuit design tools.

Responsibilities

• Own electrical architecture from concept through production for actuators.
• Develop motor controls, power electronics, and embedded software interfaces.
• Collaborate with mechanical, firmware, and manufacturing teams to prototype and industrialize technologies.
• Define engineering standards and technical direction for the actuator team.
• Prototype, validate, and optimize actuator platforms at scale.

Skills

Motor controls

Power electronics

Embedded architectures

Control algorithms

Thermal efficiency optimization

Education

Electrical Engineering or Mechatronics degree

Ph.D. or equivalent experience

Tools

Altium Designer

LTspice

Job description

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 for this Role:

• At Foundation, we're building a world-class in-house actuator organization to define the next generation of robotic performance. This is a rare opportunity to help architect the motors, controllers, and electrical systems that will power every robot we build.
• As our founding electrical engineer for actuators, you'll own the electrical architecture from concept through production, driving efficiency, reliability, manufacturability, and system performance.
• You’ll touch motor controls, power electronics, embedded systems, sensing, and hardware integration to create highly optimized actuator platforms rather than individual products.
• This role combines deep hands‑on engineering with technical leadership, helping establish the electrical foundation, engineering standards, and technical direction of a rapidly growing actuator team.
• You’ll collaborate closely with mechanical, controls, firmware, and manufacturing engineers to rapidly prototype, validate, and industrialize new actuator technologies at scale.

What Kind of Person Are We Looking For:

• 5+ years of professional or equivalent experience in motor controls, power electronics, or related fields
• Degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, or related field. A Ph.D. or equivalent experience is a plus.
• Experience designing motor controllers or other power electronics for precision applications, preferably in robotics or advanced automation
• Strong understanding of inverter circuit and topology design, current sensing, and control algorithms.
• Deep proficiency in building embedded architectures, from silicon and SoC selection to low-level firmware and integration of hardware and software.
• Experience with thermal and electrical efficiency optimization in high-performance systems.
• Comfortable working with simulation tools for control systems (e.g., MATLAB/Simulink) and circuit design (e.g., Altium, LTspice).
• Demonstrated collaboration with cross-disciplinary teams to integrate overall robotic systems.