---
title: 'Staff Electrical Engineer - Compute at Apptronik'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/staff-electrical-engineer-compute-apptronik-sunnyvale-jv2262jp93ac'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-15'
---

# Staff Electrical Engineer - Compute at Apptronik

- **Company:** Apptronik
- **Location:** Sunnyvale, CA
- **Posted:** 2026-07-08
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-15
- **Apply:** https://boards.greenhouse.io/apptronik/jobs/6111750004?gh_jid=6111750004

## 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 highly skilled and experienced Staff Compute Engineer to lead the design and implementation of the next-generation compute solution for our humanoid robot platform. In this pivotal role, you will be the technical lead responsible for architecting a compute solution that meets our most demanding requirements for real-time performance, sensor bandwidth, and, most critically, functional safety.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES or KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

- Lead the architectural design of the robot's next-generation compute solution, from high-level system architecture to component-level selection.
- Define and validate compute requirements based on the needs of complex robotics algorithms, including motion control, perception, and AI tasks.
- Develop a robust and scalable solution capable of handling high-bandwidth data from a wide array of sensors
- Design for functional safety from the ground up, implementing redundant systems, fail-safe mechanisms, and diagnostic features to meet or exceed industry safety standards.
- Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including software, electrical, and systems engineers, to ensure seamless integration of the compute solution with the overall robot platform.
- Conduct performance benchmarking and power analysis to optimize the compute stack for maximum efficiency and thermal management.
- Design, simulate, implement, and test multi-layer high-speed PCBs for integration of advanced System-on-Modules (SoMs) like NVIDIA Orin.
- Lead efforts in high-speed signal integrity (SI) and power integrity (PI) analysis, modeling, and validation.
- Knowledge of compute and processor power requirements, power trees, PMICs, and power sequencing.
- Drive the selection and qualification of critical components, including SoMs, memory, storage (NVMe/eMMC), high-speed interconnects, and peripheral interfaces.
- Develop comprehensive validation and test plans (DVT/PVT), design necessary test fixtures, and execute rigorous testing to confirm compliance with performance specifications and regulatory standards (e.g., FCC, CE).
- Stay abreast of the latest advancements in embedded systems, real-time operating systems (RTOS), and robotics compute hardware to inform future design decisions.
- Own the entire lifecycle of complex compute hardware systems, from initial concept and architecture definition through design, prototyping, validation, production release, and ongoing support.
- Act as a technical leader and mentor within the electrical engineering team, guiding junior and senior engineers on best practices for complex hardware design and troubleshooting.

## SKILLS AND REQUIREMENTS

- Proven experience in architecting and shipping complex, high-performance compute solutions for robotics, autonomous systems, or similar applications.
- Deep understanding of functional safety principles and standards (e.g. IEC 61508) and experience with safety-critical design.
- Expertise in a variety of compute platforms, including but not limited to, NVIDIA Jetson, Intel, and other high-performance embedded systems.
- Strong knowledge of real-time operating systems (RTOS), multi-core processing, and communication protocols (e.g., Ethernet, CAN).
- Experience with sensor bandwidth management and high-speed data transfer.
- Excellent problem-solving skills and a collaborative approach to engineering.
- Experience with humanoid robotics is a significant plus.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field; Master's or Ph.D. preferred.
- 10+ years of experience in embedded systems or robotics compute design.

## PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

- Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
- Must be able to lift 15 pounds at times
- Vision to read printed materials and a computer screen
- Hearing and speech to communicate

The annual salary range is $210,000 - $235,000

*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

- [Controls Engineer - Actuation](https://feeny.ai/job/controls-engineer-actuation-apptronik-austin-77g1z6r3fcxj) — Austin, TX
- [Principal Robotics Machine Learning Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/principal-robotics-machine-learning-engineer-apptronik-austin-maby3qr4xvak) — Austin, TX
- [Workplace Experience Manager (Customer Briefing Center)](https://feeny.ai/job/workplace-experience-manager-customer-briefing-center-apptronik-sunnyvale-9dxctpd073c9) — Sunnyvale, CA
- [Senior Systems Engineer - Chassis](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-systems-engineer-chassis-apptronik-austin-6se3gzgrq5em) — Austin, TX
- [Senior Robot Operator](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-robot-operator-apptronik-austin-m9qrc9drf86t) — Austin, TX
- [Staff Simulation Architect - Core Simulation Platform](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-simulation-architect-core-simulation-platform-apptronik-austin-117z0qakax2b) — Austin, TX
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- [Global Fleet Operations Specialist](https://feeny.ai/job/global-fleet-operations-specialist-apptronik-austin-zwtj3ybk24q2) — Austin, TX
- [Senior Software Engineer, ML Infrastructure](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-engineer-ml-infrastructure-apptronik-austin-18dndaxv44yc) — Austin, TX
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