---
title: 'Actuation Engineer, Motor Design at Mind Robotics'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/actuation-engineer-motor-design-mind-robotics-palo-alto-gxcwzjckdh2e'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-11'
---

# Actuation Engineer, Motor Design at Mind Robotics

- **Company:** Mind Robotics
- **Location:** Palo Alto, CA
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-09-11
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-11
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/mindrobotics/e11ba57f-a459-42c2-8e3c-ed0f1a92ed5d/application

**Skills:** Ansys Maxwell, Motor-CAD, Electromagnetic simulation, 2D/3D FEA, Parametric studies, Electric machine fundamentals, Torque production, Winding design, Magnetic materials, Thermal analysis, Mechanical CAD, CATIA, NX

> Design electromagnetic architectures for custom motors, performing simulation, prototype, and bench testing. Collaborate with mechanical, controls, and manufacturing teams to optimize torque density and compact packaging for robotic applications.

## Job description

## About Mind

Mind Robotics is building Physical AI for real-world industrial deployment, starting with the factory floor. We believe the hardest problems in AI are solved when researchers and engineers are hands-on with the physical world every day - and we're looking for people who are passionate about robotics, value ownership, and are excited to tackle difficult problems. Join us if you want to move beyond digital intelligence and put intelligence into motion.

## About the Role

As a Motor Designer on our team, you will own the electromagnetic design of custom motors and, together with mechanical, controls, and manufacturing partners, rethink what a motor can look like when every cubic millimeter matters. You will move fluidly between simulation, prototype, and bench, and your designs will end up inside robots that interact with the physical world.

## Responsibilities

- Design novel electric motor architectures (BLDC, PMSM, unconventional topologies: axial flux, slotless, coreless and etc. ) optimized for extreme torque density and compact packaging.
- Perform electromagnetic simulation and analysis (2D/3D FEA) to evaluate torque, efficiency, thermal behavior, cogging, back-EMF, and loss breakdown across operating points.
- Drive the full design loop from concept through prototype: winding configuration, magnet selection and layout, stator and rotor geometry, lamination and airgap design.
- Produce mechanical designs in CAD AND/OR partner closely with suppliers and mechanical engineers to translate electromagnetic concepts into manufacturable assemblies.
- Specify and review motor components with external vendors, including reviewing their drawings, tolerances, materials, and process capabilities.
- Define and execute dynamometer and characterization testing; correlate simulation to measured performance and iterate designs based on data.
- Collaborate with motor controls, firmware, and mechanical integration engineers to make sure the motor performs well as part of a complete actuator and robot system.

## Qualifications

- B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent experience.
- Strong electromagnetic simulation skills using tools such as Ansys Maxwell, Motor-CAD, or equivalent, including 2D/3D FEA and parametric studies.
- Deep understanding of electric machine fundamentals: torque production, winding design, magnetic materials, losses, thermal limits, and control interactions.
- Experience taking at least one custom motor from concept through prototype and test.
- Either (a) proficiency in mechanical CAD (CATIA, NX, or similar) to produce your own motor mechanical designs, or (b) demonstrated experience working closely with suppliers and mechanical engineers to deliver manufacturable motor assemblies.

## About Mind Robotics

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Mind Robotics builds AI-driven robotic systems for industrial deployment, focusing on creating general-purpose physical intelligence for the world's most demanding manufacturing challenges.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series A)
- **Headquarters**: Palo Alto, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2025
- **Founders**: Not publicly disclosed (founding technical team includes Sriramana Sankar, Ruijie He, Vishal J., and Ury Zhilinsky as Founding Technical Members)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Robotics Engineering, Industrial Automation, Artificial Intelligence
- **Target customers**: B2B, Enterprise (industrial manufacturing, factory floors)
- **Mission or purpose statement**: "Building the generalized physical intelligence required to solve the world’s most demanding industrial challenges." The company believes the path to general-purpose robotics begins where the need is most acute and the environment is most structured: the factory floor.

## Products & Services
- **AI-Enabled Industrial Robots**: Intelligent robotic systems designed for industrial deployment, focusing on creating collaborative platforms for manufacturing environments. The company builds "physical AI" for real-world industrial challenges, emphasizing hardware-in-the-loop development where researchers and engineers work hands-on with hardware.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Total Funding of **$615M** across two rounds
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Andreessen Horowitz (co-lead Series A), Accel (co-lead Series A), Kleiner Perkins (led most recent round), Eclipse (seed), Prysm Capital, Menlo Ventures. Partners include Silicon Valley Robotics.
- **Growth Signals**: 
  - Raised a $115M seed round in late 2025, followed by a massive $500M Series A in March 2026 co-led by Accel and Andreessen Horowitz
  - Closed an additional funding round in May 2026 led by Kleiner Perkins
  - Headcount of ~21 employees with a monthly growth rate of +42.9%
  - LinkedIn following of 9,654 with +38.5% monthly growth
  - Talent sourced from top companies including Tesla, Rivian, Databricks, and Physical Intelligence

## Competitive Advantages
- **Massive capital advantage**: With $615M in total funding raised within its first year, Mind Robotics is one of the best-capitalized early-stage robotics startups, enabling aggressive hiring and R&D investment.
- **Top-tier investor backing**: Backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Accel, and Kleiner Perkins — some of the most prestigious venture firms in the world.
- **Hardware-in-the-loop philosophy**: The company emphasizes that the hardest problems in AI are solved when researchers and engineers are hands-on with hardware, creating a unique engineering culture focused on real-world deployment.
- **Lean, high-impact team**: With only ~21 employees and massive funding, each individual has outsized ownership and impact.

## Strategic Focus
- **Industrial deployment first**: Targeting factory floors as the most structured environment for deploying general-purpose robotics, believing this is the fastest path to broadly capable robots.
- **Physical AI development**: Building the intelligence layer for robots that can operate in messy, complex real-world environments.
- **Aggressive scaling**: With $615M in funding, the company is rapidly expanding its team across hardware engineering, software, and data platform roles.

## Why Work Here
- **Massive impact per person**: The company explicitly states it is "building a lean, collaborative team where every individual has a massive impact" — a rare promise for a company with over half a billion in funding.
- **Hardware-in-the-loop culture**: Engineers and researchers work directly with physical hardware daily, solving real-world problems rather than just simulation.
- **Top-tier team**: Colleagues include alumni from Tesla, Rivian, Databricks, and Physical Intelligence, creating a high-caliber peer group.
- **Work policy**: Hybrid workspace (combination of remote and on-site work) with a strong in-office presence in Palo Alto, CA. Most roles appear to be on-site or hybrid.
- **Open roles**: 22 active positions across hardware engineering (actuation, motor design, electrical design, tactile sensing), software engineering (robotics, firmware, controls, ML infrastructure), and data platform roles.
- **Culture highlights**: The company looks for "builders who are passionate about robotics and live for the challenge of making systems work in messy, complex environments." They emphasize a lean, collaborative team where every individual has massive impact.

## Sources
1. [mindrobotics.com](https://www.mindrobotics.com/)
2. [mindrobotics.com/careers](https://www.mindrobotics.com/careers)
3. [LinkedIn - Mind Robotics](https://www.linkedin.com/company/mindrobotics)
4. [Built In - Mind Robotics](https://builtin.com/company/mind-robotics)
5. [Ashby Jobs - Mind Robotics](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/mindrobotics)

## Other roles at Mind Robotics

- [Tech Lead, Robotics Runtime & Middleware](https://feeny.ai/job/tech-lead-robotics-runtime-middleware-mind-robotics-palo-alto-0nmtyyhy7tad) — Palo Alto, CA
- [IT Operations Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/it-operations-lead-mind-robotics-palo-alto-nnxhw00ffje8) — Palo Alto, CA
- [Test Engineer, Actuation](https://feeny.ai/job/test-engineer-actuation-mind-robotics-palo-alto-fpcjggcme83d) — Palo Alto, CA
- [Supplier Industrialization Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/supplier-industrialization-engineer-mind-robotics-palo-alto-v7csa9tpt7ys) — Palo Alto, CA
- [System Integration Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/system-integration-engineer-mind-robotics-palo-alto-fbfk3r1bw99s) — Palo Alto, CA
- [Tech Lead, Software Infrastructure and Fleet Management](https://feeny.ai/job/tech-lead-software-infrastructure-and-fleet-management-mind-robotics-palo-alto-1pdhevhnevhm) — Palo Alto, CA
- [Hardware Lab Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/hardware-lab-technician-mind-robotics-palo-alto-wrdf1ybv7y4g) — Palo Alto, CA
- [Simulation and Validation Software Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/simulation-and-validation-software-engineer-mind-robotics-palo-alto-byck56jcmcar) — Palo Alto, CA
- [DevOps Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/devops-engineer-mind-robotics-palo-alto-7v1ppafsxmdy) — Palo Alto, CA
- [Manager, Electrical Engineering](https://feeny.ai/job/manager-electrical-engineering-mind-robotics-palo-alto-k03w66gd0cp8) — Palo Alto, CA