Staff Electrical Engineer - Sensor FPGA and PCB (Aggregator)

apptronik; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 190,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Apptronik in Sunnyvale, CA, seeks a Staff Electrical Engineer to architect electronics for Apollo's sensor bridge. You will own FPGA hardware from concept to production, including RTL development and high-speed interfaces, collaborating with perception and systems teams to deliver reliable, manufacturable hardware.

The role emphasizes leadership in design, validation, and vendor coordination, with a focus on timing closure, signal integrity, and DFx for mass production.

Qualifications

• Experience in FPGA hardware design for time-sensitive, high-performance applications (image processing, high-speed data acquisition, real-time networking, or similar).
• Ability to define FPGA device selection and architecture, RTL development, and integration of high-speed transceivers.

Responsibilities

• Own requirements, architecture, schematic capture, RTL architecture for a multi-Gbps PCBA aggregating camera data and HRI functions.
• Design and validate high-speed digital interfaces (CSI-2, GMSL/FPD-Link/PoC, 10GbE) with SI, impedance control, and length matching.
• Define FPGA device selection and architecture; develop RTL (VHDL/Verilog) for CSI-2 ingest, Ethernet packetization, and camera sync.
• Validate through lab tests, build fixtures, and troubleshoot hardware/RTL issues across the boundary.
• Lifecycle management and vendor coordination to ensure production scalability and DFM/ DFA.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration and mentor junior engineers in hardware design and documentation.

Skills

FPGA design

RTL development

High-speed interfaces

Timing closure

Clock-domain crossing

Signal integrity

DFX for PF production

Tools

Vivado

Quartus

Lattice Radiant

ModelSim/Questa

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

We're looking for a Staff Electrical Engineer to architect the electronics for Apollo's sensor bridge. Strong candidates will have experience with FPGA hardware for both PCBA design and RTL development. This role works closely with the perception team to give Apollo sight and enable critical safety functions. This role owns the full electrical and FPGA stack of one board, end to end: requirements, architecture, schematic capture, layout guidance, RTL, bring-up, validation, and the transition to production.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES or KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Electronics & FPGA Architect from Concept to Production

Own requirements definition, part selection, schematic capture, layout guidance, and RTL architecture for a multi-Gbps, mixed-signal PCBA that aggregates camera sensor data and human-robot interface functions into an efficient cable interface routed across dynamic joints. Carry the design from architecture through prototype, validation, and manufacturing release. Generate and maintain design documentation: block diagrams, schematics, RTL architecture docs, test plans, and fab/assembly drawings.

High-Speed & Mixed-Signal Hardware Design

Design and validate high-speed digital interfaces (CSI-2, GMSL2/FPD-Link/PoC, 10GbE) including signal integrity, impedance control, and length-matching. Architect the board's power tree for proper power sequencing and low-power consumption. Design for EMC, ESD, and thermal constraints.

FPGA Device Selection, Architecture, and RTL Development

Define FPGA device selection and architecture for the sensor bridge node(s). Develop RTL (VHDL/Verilog) for CSI-2 ingest, Ethernet packetization, timestamp/metadata insertion, and camera synchronization for deterministic multi-camera and multi-IMU synchronization. Own timing closure, clock-domain crossing, and resource/power budgeting within the FPGA. Select and integrate high-speed transceivers and external PHYs.

Validation, Bring-Up, and Debugging

Develop and execute validation plans spanning board-level and FPGA-level testing. Build test fixtures and use lab equipment (high-bandwidth oscilloscopes, protocol analyzers, logic analyzers) to validate latency, bandwidth, and synchronization requirements. Debug across the hardware/RTL boundary - link training failures, timing violations, ISP misconfiguration, power sequencing faults - using rigorous, first-principles root-cause analysis.

Lifecycle Management & Vendor Alignment

Own the entire component lifecycle through PLM systems, managing third-party relationships with hardware vendors and contract manufacturers (CMs) to ensure successful production scaling and design-for-manufacturability (DFM/DFA).

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including technical lead, project managers, software, mechanical, thermal, systems engineers, and manufacturing. Act as a mentor within the electrical engineering team, guiding junior engineers on best practices for hardware design, documentation, and troubleshooting.

Technical Leadership

Drive project execution with leadership, program management, and engineering peers. Define component roadmaps with product managers, systems engineers, and technical leads. Lead debugging and root cause analysis related to hardware and software defect resolution. Align technical implementation and execution with company goals. Drive consensus with stakeholders on critical design and compliance decisions. Provide work breakdowns and time estimations to inform project execution.

SKILLS AND REQUIREMENTS

Strong, demonstrated depth in FPGA hardware design for time-sensitive, high-performance applications (image processing, high-speed data acquisition, real-time networking, or similar), including:

• FPGA device selection and architecture definition
• RTL development in VHDL and/or Verilog
• High-speed interface design (CSI-2, GMSL/SerDes, Ethernet, PCIe, or comparable)
• Timing closure, clock-domain crossing, and resource optimization
• Integration of high-speed transceivers and external PHY devices
• FPGA tool flows (Vivado, Quartus, or Lattice Radiant) and simulation (ModelSim/Questa or equivalent)
• Deep understanding of high-speed digital design fundamentals: signal integrity, impedance-controlled routing, differential pa