---
title: 'Senior Manager, Hardware Connectivity at Apptronik'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-manager-hardware-connectivity-apptronik-austin-8cwrb451kaes'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-08'
---

# Senior Manager, Hardware Connectivity at Apptronik

- **Company:** Apptronik
- **Location:** Austin, TX
- **Posted:** 2026-07-29
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-08
- **Apply:** https://boards.greenhouse.io/apptronik/jobs/6013426004?gh_jid=6013426004

## 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 are seeking a Senior Manager of Hardware Connectivity to lead the team that designs and implements the "nervous system" of Apollo. In a humanoid robot, data is just as critical as power. Your team will be responsible for ensuring that every piece of data—from high-bandwidth sensor data to low-latency joint control, to cloud telematics—is transmitted flawlessly across the system and to the outside world. You will manage a team of engineers specializing in high/low-speed signal integrity, internal networks, wire harnessing, wireless data links (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Cellular), and EMI/EMC. You will ensure that Apollo’s internal networks are robust against the mechanical realities of articulating joints and the electrical noise of high-power motor drives.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES or KEY ACCOUNTABILITES:

- Team Leadership & Growth: Manage, mentor, and grow a team of electrical, RF, and interconnect engineers. Empower Tech Leads, conduct design reviews, and allocate resources effectively across rapid hardware development cycles.
- Internal Network Architecture: Oversee the physical layer design and routing rules for all internal communication buses distributed throughout the robot's body.
- External Wireless & RF: Lead the integration and antenna design strategies for wireless data links, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Cellular (5G/LTE), enabling robust telemetry, OTA updates, and teleoperation.
- Interconnects & Harnessing: Own the physical design, shielding, and dynamic routing of wire harnesses and custom flex-PCBs across Apollo’s articulating joints, minimizing wear and ensuring maximum lifecycle reliability.
- EMI/EMC & Signal Integrity: Define the grounding architectures, shielding strategies, and spectrum management plans required to isolate sensitive data and RF signals from the massive electromagnetic noise generated by the robot's high-power mechatronics.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with other Electrical Engineering teams, as well as Mechanical Engineering and Software, to ensure seamless system integration and packaging.

## SKILLS AND REQUIREMENTS

- Domain Expertise: Deep technical background in at least two of the following areas:
- RF engineering and wireless module integration (Cellular, Wi-Fi, BT).
- Complex wire harness design and flex-PCBs for dynamic, moving systems.
- EMI/EMC mitigation, grounding architectures, and compliance testing (FCC/CE).
- High-speed and low-speed digital signal integrity.
- System-Level Thinking: Proven ability to manage the competing physical constraints (thermal, mechanical packaging, electrical noise) found in tightly integrated hardware.
- Leadership Style: A hands-on leader who can dive into schematics or layout reviews when necessary, but knows how to delegate and elevate senior technical contributors.

## NICE TO HAVE:

- Prior experience in humanoid robotics, complex industrial automation, electric vehicles (EV), or aerospace.
- Experience taking a complex, mixed-signal hardware product from prototype through high-volume manufacturing.
- Hands-on experience in an anechoic chamber or taking products through formal EMC certification.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

- Education: BS or MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
- Experience: 10+ years of professional engineering experience in hardware design, with at least 4+ years of direct people management experience.

## PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

- Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
- Vision to read printed materials and a computer screen
- Hearing and speech to communicate

*This is a direct hire.  Please, no outside Agency solicitations.

Apptronik provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

## About Apptronik

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Apptronik builds advanced humanoid robots for real-world industrial applications, starting with manufacturing and warehousing, to address labor shortages and improve human productivity.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Funding Stage: Series A)
- **Headquarters**: Austin, Texas, United States
- **Founded**: 2016
- **Founders**: Founded as a spinout from the Human Centered Robotics Lab at the University of Texas at Austin; leadership includes CEO Jeff Cardenas and CTO Nicholas Paine

## Core Business
- Primary industry/industries: Robot Manufacturing, Humanoid Robotics, Industrial Automation, Artificial Intelligence
- Target customers: B2B / Enterprise — manufacturing facilities, warehousing and logistics operators, supply chain organizations
- Mission or purpose statement: “It is not Man vs. Machine, but Man + Machine” — building robots that empower humans to live to their fullest potential by solving labor shortages and reducing physical strain.

## Products & Services
- **[Apollo Humanoid Robot Platform]**: A full-electric, bipedal humanoid robot designed for industrial use. Combines advanced hardware, embodied AI, and fleet-level management software. Current applications include material handling, line-side tasks, palletizing, case picking, trailer unloading, and inspection. Built as a scalable platform that can extend into healthcare, eldercare, and home environments over time. (Type: Hardware + SaaS Platform)

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Annual Revenue**: ~$3.5 million (estimated)
- **Total Funding**: ~$963.8 million (includes a Seed Round of $14.6M in 2022, a Corporate Round in 2025, and an undisclosed Series A round; notable investors include Mercedes-Benz Group AG and Google)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Google, Terex, Humanoid Global
- **Growth Signals**: Headcount grew 98.1% year-over-year to 334 employees (2026 data). Named to the **2026 CNBC Disruptor 50** list. Recognized on the **Best Places to Work** list (2024, 2025). Won the **2025 IEEE Robotics & Automation Product Innovation Award**. Named **Most Innovative** (2025). Active job postings increased 238.5% year-over-year (88 open roles). Acquired Elevate Robotics Inc.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Deep heritage**: Spun out of UT Austin’s Human Centered Robotics Lab; team dates back to the DARPA Robotics Challenge (2015) and includes ex-NASA collaborators.
- **Full-stack vertical integration**: Covers hardware, embodied AI, and fleet-level management software — a complete, scalable platform rather than a one-off robot.
- **Safe, human-centric design**: Built for human environments from the ground up, with a focus on reducing physical strain and complementing human workers, not replacing them.
- **Early enterprise traction**: Active partnerships with major industrial players like Mercedes-Benz and Terex, proving real-world deployment over lab demos.

## Strategic Focus
- Scaling Apollo for manufacturing and warehouse deployment (current core market).
- Expanding into more complex environments: construction, healthcare, eldercare, and the home.
- Continuous hardware and software upgrades (CEO Jeff Cardenas calls humanoid robotics “the space race of our time” and has signaled major upgrades to Apollo).
- Building out fleet-level tools for multi-robot management and learning.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven**: Work on the frontier of humanoid robotics with a stated ethos of “Man + Machine” — robots that improve human quality of life.
- **High-growth environment**: Doubled headcount year-over-year with massive funding and expanding job postings; strong career growth potential.
- **Culture values**: Passion, creativity, collaboration, integrity, curiosity, and humility are explicitly stated as core values.
- **Perks & Benefits**:
  - Flexible PTO (open, unlimited)
  - 401k retirement plan
  - Comprehensive Medical, Dental & Vision coverage
  - Parental leave
  - Flexible work hours
  - Collaborative and innovative work environment
- **Remote/Hybrid Policy**: Not explicitly stated; 77% of workforce is in the United States (majority in Austin HQ). Specific roles may vary, but the company promotes a collaborative environment.
- **Talent sources**: Attracts talent from top robotics and tech companies — SpaceX, Tesla, Fox Robotics, Agility Robotics, Apple, iRobot, Neocis, and top universities (UT Austin).
- **Employee rating**: 3.9/5.0 on employer reviews (Work-Life: 3.5, Career: 3.7).

## Sources
1. [apptronik.com](https://apptronik.com/) — Company homepage
2. [apptronik.com/about-us](https://apptronik.com/about-us) — About Us / History / Mission
3. [apptronik.com/careers](https://apptronik.com/careers?gh_src=B+Capital+job+board) — Careers page / Perks & Culture
4. [apptronik.com/careers/job-listings](https://apptronik.com/careers/job-listings) — Open job listings
5. [linkedin.com/company/apptronik-inc.](https://www.linkedin.com/company/apptronik-inc.) — LinkedIn company profile (revenue, headcount, funding, employee breakdown)

## Other roles at Apptronik

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