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.
The Role
Apptronik is seeking a Staff Systems Engineer to own the system-level architecture, requirements, and performance of Apollo’s perception suite. In this role, you are the technical connective tissue between the Autonomy software team and the Hardware engineering teams. You will translate high-level autonomy capabilities (e.g., "the robot must safely grasp a moving object" or "navigate a cluttered warehouse") into rigorous, verifiable system requirements (latency budgets, field-of-view mapping, resolution, and compute allocation). As a Staff-level leader, you will drive complex trade studies, define Interface Control Documents (ICDs), establish the Verification and Validation (V&V) strategy, and ensure the perception system meets the stringent functional safety standards required for a humanoid robot operating alongside humans.
Key ResponsibilitiesArchitecture & Trade Studies- System Architecture: Define the top-level architecture for the robot's perception system, balancing the needs of Visual-Inertial Odometry (VIO), manipulation, obstacle avoidance, and remote teleoperation.
- Trade Studies: Lead data-driven trade studies to adjudicate complex architectural decisions (e.g., Stereo Vision vs. LiDAR for close-range manipulation, edge-compute vs. centralized processing, global vs. rolling shutter).
- Budget Ownership: Own and manage critical system budgets, including photon-to-action latency, compute utilization (TOPS), memory bandwidth, and spatial Field of View (FOV) coverage.
Requirements & Interfaces
- Requirements Flow-Down: Elicit, define, and manage perception system requirements using enterprise tools (e.g., Jama, Polarion, or DOORS). Decompose product-level goals into strict hardware and software specifications.
- Interface Management: Author and maintain Interface Control Documents (ICDs) that define the boundaries between perception sensors, the compute cluster, and the autonomy software stack. Ensure complete alignment across multi-disciplinary teams.
Verification, Validation & Safety
- V&V Strategy: Architect the master Verification and Validation plan for the perception stack. Define the KPIs and test methodologies required to prove that the system meets its requirements in real-world, dynamic environments.
- Functional Safety (ISO 13849 / IEC 61508): Partner with the Safety team to perform Hazard Analysis and Risk Assessments (HARA) related to perception. Define the safety-critical detection zones, fail-safe degradation states, and hardware redundancy requirements.
Cross-Functional Leadership
- Technical Adjudication: Act as the ultimate technical adjudicator when conflicts arise between the Autonomy team's desires and the Hardware team's constraints (e.g., thermal limits, mechanical packaging, payload capacity).
- Mentorship: Elevate the systems engineering rigor across the company, mentoring engineers in Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) methodologies and rigorous requirement writing.
Qualifications
- Perception Domain Expertise: Deep understanding of modern perception modalities (Cameras, LiDAR, Radar, ToF, IMU) and the fundamental physics, error models, and integration challenges of each.
- Autonomy Familiarity: Strong working knowledge of how perception data is consumed by downstream algorithms (SLAM, object detection, kinematic planning, sensor fusion).
- Systems Rigor: Proven track record of managing complex requirements traceability and V&V matrices for shipped products.
- Analytical Skills: Ability to build mathematical models in Python or MATLAB to simulate system-level latency, FOV coverage, or optical performance to inform early-stage architecture.
Education and Experience
- Experience: 8+ years of experience in Systems Engineering for complex
- Education: BS, MS, or PhD in Systems Engineering, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.electromechanical systems, autonomous vehicles, aerospace, or advanced robotics.
Physical Requirements
- Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
- Must be able to lift 15 pounds at times
- Vision to read printed materials and a computer screen
- Hearing and speech to communicate
*This is a direct hire. Please, no outside Agency solicitations.
Apptronik provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
Skills Required
- 8+ years of systems engineering for complex electromechanical systems, autonomous vehicles, aerospace, or advanced robotics
- BS, MS, or PhD in Systems Engineering, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field
- Deep understanding of perception modalities (Cameras, LiDAR, Radar, ToF, IMU) and their error models
- Strong working knowledge of how perception data is consumed by SLAM, object detection, kinematic planning, and sensor fusion
- Proven track record managing requirements traceability and Verification & Validation for shipped products
- Ability to build mathematical models in Python or MATLAB to simulate latency, FOV, or optical performance
- Experience with enterprise requirements tools (e.g., Jama, Polarion, DOORS)
- Experience authoring and maintaining Interface Control Documents (ICDs) and defining system architectures and budgets
- Familiarity with functional safety standards and processes (ISO 13849 / IEC 61508), HARA, and safety-critical detection/degradation design
- Experience mentoring engineers in MBSE methodologies and rigorous requirement writing
Apptronik Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Medical insurance through UnitedHealthcare includes multiple plan types with an employer-paid portion, alongside life and disability coverage. These core health benefits are presented as comprehensive for a fast-growing startup.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Company equity is explicitly included in total rewards, with performance bonuses and relocation assistance also listed. This ownership component adds longer-term upside beyond base pay.
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Parental & Family Support — Generous parental leave, family medical leave, and an onsite mother’s room are highlighted. These provisions indicate tangible support for caregiving needs.
Apptronik Insights
What We Do
Apptronik is building robots for the real world to improve human quality of life and to help solve the ever-increasing labor shortage problem. Our team has been building some of the most advanced robots on the planet for years, dating back to the DARPA Robotics Challenge. We apply our expertise across the full robotics stack to some of the most important and impactful problems our society faces, and expect our products and technology to change the world for the better. We value passion, creativity, and collaboration to help us overcome existing technological barriers in the industry to create truly innovative products.
Why Work With Us
At Apptronik, we don't see a future where man competes against machine. Instead, we envision a harmonious world where man and machine coexist. Our mission statement, "It is not Man vs. Machine, but Man + Machine," encapsulates our belief that the synergy between humans and robots will pave the way for a brighter, more advanced future.
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Apptronik Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
