What to Expect
● You 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.
What you'll do
● Design 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.
● Select, integrate, and characterize sensors — encoders, force/torque sensors, tactile arrays, and temperature sensors — to enable closed-loop control of each finger joint.
● Develop compact motor drive circuits for miniature BLDC or servo motors, including current sensing, protection, and thermal management.
● Build 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.
● Write 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).
● Collaborate 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.
Required Qualifications
● Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics or equivalent degree.
● 3+ years of experience designing mixed-signal electronics for robotic, mechatronic, or embedded systems.
● Strong PCB design skills — schematic capture, multi-layer layout, and DFM review in Altium, KiCad, or equivalent.
● Proficiency in embedded C/C++ firmware development targeting ARM Cortex-M microcontrollers (STM32, NXP, etc.).
● Hands-on experience with motor driver design (BLDC, brushed DC, or stepper) and power electronics fundamentals.
● Working knowledge of serial communication protocols (CAN bus, SPI, I²C, UART) and real-time control concepts.
● Comfortable with lab bench work — soldering, rework, probing, and debugging prototypes.
● Excellent communication skills and ability to work in unstructured and high-pressure environments
● Understanding of how to balance development speed versus product quality
● Problem solving with first principles thinking
● Growth mindset: curious and hungry to grow
Preferred Qualifications
● Prior experience designing electronics for robotic hands, grippers, or prosthetic devices.
● Experience with EtherCAT or CANopen for deterministic, low-latency actuator networks.
● Familiarity with battery management systems (BMS) and compact power regulation for mobile/embedded robotics.
● Knowledge of EMI/EMC mitigation techniques and compliance testing.
● Experience with Python or MATLAB for automated hardware testing and data analysis.
Benefits
● Medical, dental & vision plans ($0 payroll deduction)
● Daily meals stipend
Expected Compensation
● $120,000 - $250,000 annually + equity + benefits
● The 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. This information will be shared if an employment offer is extended.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, or an equivalent field
- 3+ years of experience designing mixed-signal electronics for robotic, mechatronic, or embedded systems
- Strong PCB design skills, including schematic capture, multilayer layout, and DFM review using Altium, KiCad, or equivalent
- Proficiency in embedded C/C++ firmware development for ARM Cortex-M microcontrollers, such as STM32 or NXP
- Hands-on experience designing motor drivers for BLDC, brushed DC, or stepper motors
- Understanding of power electronics fundamentals
- Working knowledge of CAN bus, SPI, I²C, UART, and real-time control concepts
- Hands-on laboratory experience with soldering, rework, probing, and prototype debugging
- Excellent communication skills and ability to work in unstructured, high-pressure environments
- Ability to balance development speed with product quality
- Strong problem-solving skills using first-principles thinking
- Curiosity and growth mindset
- Experience designing electronics for robotic hands, grippers, or prosthetic devices
- Experience with EtherCAT or CANopen actuator networks
- Familiarity with battery management systems and compact power regulation
- Knowledge of EMI/EMC mitigation and compliance testing
- Experience using Python or MATLAB for automated hardware testing and data analysis
What We Do
Deft AI, Inc., operating as Deft Robotics, deploys wheeled humanoid robots and robot-foundation-model-based work cells in manufacturing facilities. Its systems integrate with factory workflows to automate difficult tasks that still require people, including final assembly, cable handling, line feeding, and kitting. The company focuses on automotive and electronics manufacturers, combining robotics, AI, and on-site integration to help factories improve throughput and address labor-intensive processes.
