Junior Electrical Engineer - HRI

Apptronik • Austin, TX

5d • Onsite

About The Position

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 embodied 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. We are seeking a Junior Electrical Engineer to support the design and development of audio and display systems for our next-generation Apollo robot. In this role, you will focus on the practical implementation and testing of the human-robot interface (HRI) electronics. You will work closely with senior engineers to turn concept requirements into functional prototypes, ensuring high-quality visual and auditory user experiences from an electrical engineering perspective.

Requirements

• Proficiency with modern schematic capture and PCB layout tools (e.g., Altium Designer).
• Proficiency with common electronics testing equipment including oscilloscopes, power supplies, signal generators, and digital multimeters.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field.
• At least 3 years of industry experience in the area of audio electronics, with focus in acoustic electronics design (smart speakers, headphones, or robotics).

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge of microphones, speakers, audio amplifiers, I2S, signal conditioning and filtering, A/D and D/A converters, and digital signal processing (DSP).
• Understanding of Thiele/Small parameters, lumped element modeling, and non-linear distortion mechanisms.
• Exposure to simulation tools (COMSOL, LEAP, or equivalent).
• Exposure to audio systems.
• Exposure to adaptive filtering (LMS/RLS), array processing, and speech enhancement algorithms.
• Familiarity with the signal processing requirements for Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) engines and wake-word systems.

Responsibilities

• Support the design and prototyping of HRI-specific circuitry, including LED drivers, display backlight controllers, and audio front-ends.
• Assist in the selection of components for visual displays (LCD/OLED) and audio systems (microphones, speakers) based on project specifications.
• Implement and test multi-layer mixed-signal PCBAs, focusing on signal integrity for audio and display interfaces like I2S and MIPI.
• Execute validation and test plans (DVT) for HRI subsystems, using specialized equipment to measure audio fidelity and display performance.
• Collaborate with the firmware and UX teams to troubleshoot hardware-software interactions for user feedback mechanisms (e.g., audio alerts, visual status indicators).
• Maintain detailed documentation of design changes, test results, and assembly procedures.
• Ensure designs follow established EMI/EMC best practices under the guidance of senior staff.
• Support 3rd party relationships with vendors, contract manufacturers, and external design services.
• Supports senior and staff engineers on project execution, receiving inputs of deadlines, requirements, and feedback.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level