Test & Validation Engineer - Motors and Actuators

1X; San Carlos (CA); On-site; USD 95,000 - 143,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical, dental, and視ion

Generous paid time off, company events

401(k) plan with company match

FSA/HSA options

Commuter benefits

Disability and life insurance

Employee Assistance Program

Onsite snacks and catered lunches

Job summary

1X is building humanoid robots that work in home - doing the chores, handling the tasks, and giving people their time back. The Test & Validation team ensures NEO performance in the real world, developing the infrastructure and data that let engineering teams understand system performance and validate designs before production.

As a Test & Validation Engineer, you’ll own the characterization and validation of electric motors and robotic actuators, generate actionable insights, and help close the

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in EE/Mech/Robotics and 5 years of experience.
• Experience testing electromechanical systems, actuators, motors, or power electronics.
• Strong hands-on experience with laboratory equipment, instrumentation, and hardware debugging.
• Experience analyzing test data and communicating results to engineering stakeholders.
• Ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Own the characterization, testing, and validation of electric motors and actuators for NEO.
• Generate performance data, reliability insights, and validation frameworks.
• Close the loop between design, implementation, and product performance.
• Support engineering teams with data-driven decisions.
• Develop scalable test infrastructure for development and production.

Skills

Strong experimental mindset

Hands-on electromechanical experience

Analytical data interpretation

Cross-functional collaboration

Ownership mentality

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical/Mechanical Engineering or Robotics

Tools

Laboratory equipment

Instrumentation

Job description

About 1X

We’re building humanoid robots that work in home - doing the chores, handling the tasks, and giving people their time back. Simple, but it’s not.

To do this right, we have to solve robotics, AI, manufacturing - at the same time, at scale, in a form factor that has to be safe enough to live with your family. If you’re inspired by this, you’ll thrive here. We’ve been at this since 2014 and we’re at the point where the hard problems are behind us and the hard work is in front of us.

NEO is our flagship - a home robot designed to move, learn, and operate in the real world alongside real people. We’re not demoing it - we’re shipping it. We’re excited to meet you, if this excites you.

If you’ve spent your career working on problems that matter and want to see them actually reach the world - this is that moment. We’re scaling, we’re hiring with intention, and we need people who want to build something that will genuinely change how humans spend their time - safely creating abundance for all.

About the Team

The Test & Validation team is responsible for ensuring that the systems powering NEO perform reliably in the real world. We develop the infrastructure, methodologies, and data that allow engineering teams to understand system performance, uncover weaknesses, and validate designs before they reach production.

Working across hardware, controls, firmware, and robotics teams, we provide the objective evidence that drives engineering decisions and helps transform promising prototypes into robust products.

Your Charter

Own the characterization, testing, and validation of electric motors and robotic actuators that enable NEO’s movement. Your work will generate the performance data, reliability insights, and validation frameworks needed to ensure our actuator systems meet demanding requirements for efficiency, durability, safety, and real-world operation.

As a Test & Validation Engineer, you’ll play a critical role in closing the loop between design, implementation, and product performance, helping engineering teams make faster and more informed decisions.

Key Outcomes

• Deliver accurate, repeatable actuator and motor performance characterization across operating conditions and use cases

• Build and maintain scalable test infrastructure that enables efficient validation throughout development and production cycles

• Identify performance limitations, reliability risks, and failure modes early enough to influence design decisions and reduce program risk

• Provide high-quality test data and actionable insights that improve actuator performance, efficiency, and robustness

• Support successful product releases through comprehensive validation, regression testing, and cross-functional collaboration

Key Competencies

• Strong experimental mindset with the ability to design tests that answer meaningful engineering questions

• Excellent hands-on engineering skills with electromechanical systems, instrumentation, and laboratory equipment

• Strong analytical and data interpretation skills with attention to detail and measurement quality

• Ability to collaborate effectively across hardware, firmware, controls, and systems engineering teams

• Ownership mentality with a passion for building reliable test processes and improving product quality

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, or a related field and 5 years of experience.

• Experience testing electromechanical systems, actuators, motors, or power electronics

• Strong hands-on experience with laboratory equipment, instrumentation, and hardware debugging

• Experience analyzing test data and communicating results to engineering stakeholders

• Ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary engineering teams

Preferred Skills

• Experience with motor dynamometers, actuator test benches, or robotic hardware validation

• Familiarity with motor control systems and actuator performance characterization

• Experience with test automation, scripting, and automated data collection workflows

• Exposure to reliability, durability, environmental, or lifetime testing methodologies

• Experience supporting hardware bring-up, root-cause analysis, and failure investigations

What does a successful 1X Team Member look like?

Team members at 1X who thrive here are builders. They move fast, own their work completely, and treat time like it’s the one thing you can’t get back - because it is. They say what they mean, finish what they start, and hold themselves to a standard before anyone has to ask. We push each other to be better, and we do it with honesty and respect.

Compensation Range

$95,000 - $142,600 + Equity

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage

• Generous paid time off, company holidays, and parental leave

• 401(k) plan with company match (100% on the first 3% of contributions, 50% on the next 2%)

• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) options

• Commuter benefits (transit and parking)

• Short-term and long-term disability, and life insurance

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for mental health, financial, and personal support

• Onsite snacks and catered lunches

Equal Opportunity Employer

1X is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, medical condition, genetic information, disability, military or veteran status, justice system impact, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.