{"id":742049,"url":"https://alion.io/job/deftai-senior-electrical-design-engineer","title":"Senior Electrical Design Engineer","company":{"id":673681,"name":"Deft AI","domain":"deftai.co","url":"https://alion.io/company/deftai","size_band":null,"is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Ashby","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":75,"open_postings":9,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":1,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":null,"computed_at":"2026-11-02T06:13:15Z"}},"role":"Hardware","role_family":"Hardware","seniority":"senior","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["San Francisco, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":120000,"max":250000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":250000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":3,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"C++","optional":false},{"name":"Embedded C","optional":false},{"name":"KiCad","optional":false},{"name":"Battery Management Systems","optional":true},{"name":"C","optional":true},{"name":"CANopen","optional":true},{"name":"EtherCAT","optional":true},{"name":"MATLAB","optional":true},{"name":"Python","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-04-15T23:08:50Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-04-15","last_verified_at":"2026-11-02T19:55:43Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":200,"trust":{"level":"stale","repost_count":0,"flags":["stale"],"days_open":200},"description":"What to Expect\nYou will own the end-to-end electrical design of new robotic humanoid hand/end-effector designs for Deft’s next generation wheeled humanoid robot, cooperating with and reporting directly to the CEO.\nWhat you'll do\nDesign schematics and high-density, multi-layer PCB layouts (Altium, KiCad) for motor driver boards, sensor interface boards, and power distribution systems that fit within the tight form factor of a robotic hand.\nSelect, integrate, and characterize sensors - encoders, force/torque sensors, tactile arrays, and temperature sensors - to enable closed-loop control of each finger joint.\nDevelop compact motor drive circuits for miniature BLDC or servo motors, including current sensing, protection, and thermal management.\nBuild and execute hardware-in-the-loop test setups - validate boards with oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and power analyzers, and debug issues at the bench alongside the mechanical engineer.\nWrite and maintain basic embedded firmware (C/C++) on STM32 or similar microcontrollers for real-time motor control loops, sensor data acquisition, and communication bus interfaces (CAN, SPI, I²C).\nCollaborate with mechanical engineering and firmware engineering to solve integration challenges - cable routing, connector selection, EMI shielding, thermal dissipation, firmware-hardware co-debugging, and communication protocol bring-up within a compact hand assembly.\nRequired Qualifications\nBachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics or equivalent degree.\n3+ years of experience designing mixed-signal electronics for robotic, mechatronic, or embedded systems.\nStrong PCB design skills - schematic capture, multi-layer layout, and DFM review in Altium, KiCad, or equivalent.\nProficiency in embedded C/C++ firmware development targeting ARM Cortex-M microcontrollers (STM32, NXP, etc.).\nHands-on experience with motor driver design (BLDC, brushed DC, or stepper) and power electronics fundamentals.\nWorking knowledge of serial communication protocols (CAN bus, SPI, I²C, UART) and real-time control concepts.\nComfortable with lab bench work - soldering, rework, probing, and debugging prototypes.\nExcellent communication skills and ability to work in unstructured and high-pressure environments\nUnderstanding of how to balance development speed versus product quality\nProblem solving with first principles thinking\nGrowth mindset: curious and hungry to grow\nPreferred Qualifications\nPrior experience designing electronics for robotic hands, grippers, or prosthetic devices.\nExperience with EtherCAT or CANopen for deterministic, low-latency actuator networks.\nFamiliarity with battery management systems (BMS) and compact power regulation for mobile/embedded robotics.\nKnowledge of EMI/EMC mitigation techniques and compliance testing.\nExperience with Python or MATLAB for automated hardware testing and data analysis.\nBenefits\nMedical, dental & vision plans ($0 payroll deduction)\nDaily meals stipend\nExpected Compensation\n$120,000 - $250,000 annually + equity + benefits\nThe pay offered for this position may vary based on several individual factors, including job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package may also include additional components/benefits depending on the specific role. 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