Electrical Engineer (UMI)

Physical Intelligence is bringing general-purpose AI into the physical world. We are a team of engineers, scientists, roboticists, and company builders developing foundation models and learning algorithms to power the robots of today and the physically-actuated devices of the future.

This role is part of the hardware team, but will involve deep collaboration with the embedded firmware team and the robot software engineering (runtime) team.

- Drive Hardware Architecture: Lead the electrical design of devices crucial to PI’s data collection, from component selection (SoCs, Sensors, PMICs) to final PCBA.

- Imaging System Design: Lead the hardware integration of high-resolution image sensors, ensuring clean power rails and high-speed data paths (MIPI) for optimal image quality.

- Wireless Hardware Integration: Design and optimize RF front-ends for wireless modules, focusing on antenna placement, signal range, and power consumption.

- Schematic & Layout: Take full ownership of schematics and supervise/execute PCB layouts for complex, space-constrained enclosures.

- Hardware Validation: Design and execute test plans to identify hardware bugs, signal integrity issues, and thermal bottlenecks.

- DFM/DFT: Work with manufacturing partners to ensure designs are optimized for high-yield assembly (Design for Manufacturing) and comprehensive on-line testing (Design for Test).

- Power Optimization: Analyze and optimize the hardware-level power consumption for battery-operated devices, and assist with thermal testing and validation of the devices.

In addition to 3–7 years of experience in hardware design and board-level development for high-volume products, strong candidates must have:

- BS/MS in Electrical Engineering or a related technical field.

- PCB Design Expertise: Proficiency in EDA tools (e.g., Altium, Allegro) for complex, multi-layer, high-density interconnect designs, and experience with rigid flex circuits

- Camera System Experience: Hands-on experience with CMOS image sensors, MIPI CSI-2/3 interfaces, and the electrical requirements for high-bandwidth imaging data, including bring-up and image tuning

- High-Speed Design: Deep understanding of signal integrity, power integrity, and EMI/EMC mitigation for high-speed digital and RF circuits.

- Bring-up & Validation: Experience with lab equipment (oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, logic analyzers) to lead initial board bring-up, debugging, and hardware validation.

- Power Management: Experience designing efficient power delivery networks (PDN), including DC-DC converters, LDOs, and battery management systems (BMS) for mobile devices.

- Communication Protocols: Familiarity with CAN, Ethernet, SPI, I2C, UART, USB (2.0/3.0/Type-C), and PCIe, as well as wireless protocols including BLE and Wi-Fi (2.4GHz/5GHz), and the ability to evaluate and debug these systems.

- Cross-functional Collaboration: Ability to translate ambiguous product goals into hard functional requirements for firmware, mechanical, and research teams.

- Experience with RF/Antenna integration and FCC/CE certification processes

- History of working with JDMs and ODMs

- Knowledge of flex-circuit (FPC) design and rigid-flex integration

- Experience with robotic actuators or motor control circuitry

- Understanding of thermal design optimization and testing

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.