Robotics MPU & DNPU Field Applications Engineer

NXP Semiconductors•San Jose, CA

3d•$166,200 - $228,500•Hybrid

About The Position

AI is rapidly moving beyond research labs and into the real world—powering advancements in vehicles, factories, hospitals, homes, and everyday devices. NXP’s Global Sales organization is the force that transforms our intelligent edge vision into meaningful market impact. We operate on the front lines of innovation, delivering real‑world AI, secure edge intelligence, and breakthrough technologies to the customers shaping tomorrow’s world. As a strategic partner at the intersection of customer ambition and NXP capability, our global sales team drives alignment, opens new markets, and builds the relationships that lead to design wins and revenue growth. Through deep market insight and long‑term collaboration, we embed customer‑centricity into every decision and help accelerate innovation at the system‑solution level. This disciplined, client‑first mindset enables us to architect integrated, future‑ready solutions that deliver sustained value and strengthen NXP’s competitive advantage. We thrive in a high‑performance, high‑ownership environment—competing boldly, executing with urgency, and celebrating results. If you want to win big, grow fast, and work with the customers building what’s next, NXP Global Sales is where ambition becomes achievement. We are seeking a highly motivated, experienced engineer to join our FAE team supporting the rapidly growing robotics market — humanoids, drones, and Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) platforms. You will help our customers architect and deploy NXP application and AI processors as core to next-generation robotic systems — powering companion computers, central compute, vision and perception pipelines, AI inference, sensor fusion, and motion planning. You will join a collaborative, passionate team that values creativity, open communication, and having fun while solving tough problems together developing leading-edge hardware & software solutions. We support flexible work arrangements and a healthy work-life balance, and welcome teams to a modern, collaborative workspace in San Jose, conveniently located in the heart of North San Jose's thriving tech community.

Requirements

Bachelor's or Master's in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering or Computer Science
10+ years in embedded systems development or applications support of MPU / SoC-based platforms running embedded Linux, with demonstrated technical leadership.
Strong embedded Linux experience across the full stack: bootloader (u-boot), kernel and device drivers, device tree, Yocto / build system, and user-space integration.
Proficient in C/C++ for embedded development, plus working knowledge of Python or scripting for tooling and automation.
Hands-on experience with ARM Cortex-A class application processors and heterogeneous compute architectures pairing application cores with real-time microcontroller cores.
Working knowledge of high-speed application-processor interfaces and how to design around them: LPDDR, PCIe, USB 3.x, MIPI-CSI / MIPI-DSI, Gigabit / Multi-Gigabit Ethernet, SDIO / eMMC, and QSPI.
Experience optimizing PCB design for high-speed application-processor interfaces (impedance control, length matching, EMC/EMI, and power integrity).
Strong troubleshooting skills with schematic review, signal analysis, and lab tools.
Excellent verbal and written communication for both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Demonstrated leadership and ability to operate autonomously
Willing to travel, primarily within North America.

Nice To Haves

Hands-on experience enabling AI / ML workloads on edge processors and integrated NPUs, including model conversion and optimization from common training frameworks to on-device inference for robotics perception.
Working knowledge of computer-vision and sensor-fusion pipelines: MIPI-CSI camera bring-up, ISP tuning, multi-camera synchronization, and fusion of camera, LiDAR, radar, time-of-flight, and IMU inputs feeding perception and localization.
Familiarity with robotics middleware and stacks: Rust, ROS / ROS 2, DDS, real-time Linux (PREEMPT_RT), and common SLAM, navigation, and motion-planning frameworks.
Experience with heterogeneous compute and inter-core communication frameworks (e.g., RPMsg / OpenAMP) used to combine Linux with real-time control on a single SoC.
Working knowledge of platform security: TrustZone, secure boot, OP-TEE, integrated secure enclaves, and secure-element integration for authenticated robotics endpoints.
Familiarity with connectivity in robotics — Wi-Fi, Bluetooth / BLE, 802.15.4, UWB, NFC — and in-robot networking interfaces such as Gigabit / Multi-Gigabit Ethernet, TSN-capable interfaces, and Single-Pair Ethernet.
Familiarity with power-management subsystems for application processors (PMIC integration, DVFS, multi-rail / thermal management) and battery-powered system architectures, including 48V platforms.
Working knowledge of functional safety (ISO 26262, IEC 61508 / SIL 2–3) and cybersecurity (ISO 21434, IEC 62443) standards relevant to industrial and automotive edge-compute systems.

Responsibilities

Provide technical leadership to sales teams and customers covering edge-compute architecture, processor selection, bring-up, and software stack integration for NXP MPU and DNPU processors targeting robotics platforms.
Own the end-to-end robotics compute architecture for customer engagements, spanning perception, localization, planning, and control integration.
Guide customers in deploying complete robotics software stacks on NXP platforms, enabling rapid system bring-up and deployment.
Partner with customers on the design of companion computers, central compute, vision/perception subsystems, and HMI nodes — from silicon selection through Linux board bring-up, kernel/driver enablement, and system performance tuning.
Architect heterogeneous compute solutions that combine Linux on application cores with real-time tasks on companion microcontroller cores, including inter-core communication, resource isolation, and end-to-end latency budgets.
Design support and lab troubleshooting through schematic and PCB reviews, bench bring-up, debugging, and root-cause analysis across hardware, kernel, drivers, and middleware.
Enable customer AI, vision, and sensor-fusion workloads on NXP processors and integrated NPUs, helping customers move models from training frameworks to optimized on-device inference for perception, navigation, and HMI use cases.
Deliver on-site and remote proof-of-concept builds using NXP evaluation kits, robotics reference designs, and BSP / SDK enablement, demonstrating end-to-end solutions for AMR, drone, and humanoid use cases.
Lead technical training and project coordination across customers, business lines, and partners — running webinars, workshops, and deep-dives while managing timelines and deliverables.