Rhoda AI · San Francisco
Hardware & ElectricalHardwareFullTime
At Rhoda AI, we’re building the next generation of generalist intelligent robots. We own the full robotics stack from high-performance hardware and robot systems to the infrastructure and state-of-the-art foundation world models that control our robots. Our robots are designed to be generalists capable of operating in complex, real-world environments and handling long-tail edge cases, made possible by our cutting edge research and end-to-end system design. We've raised over $450M and are investing aggressively in model research, infrastructure, hardware development, and manufacturing scale-up to make generalist robotics a reality.
Role Summary
We are seeking a highly experienced Staff Electrical Engineer to lead the design of advanced hardware systems for our industrial and manufacturing robotics platforms. This role sits at the intersection of system architecture, real-time embedded design, and robotics-specific hardware development. You will own schematics from concept to production, collaborate cross-functionally with firmware, mechanical, and software/perception teams, and serve as a technical authority on electrical design decisions across our robot product line.
What You Will Work On
You will be designing and owning the hardware for robotic systems deployed in demanding industrial and manufacturing environments, including:
Collaborative robots (cobots) that work safely alongside human operators in assembly, inspection, and logistics workflows.
Vision-guided robotic systems using cameras, LiDAR, and ToF sensors for real-time perception, navigation, and quality control.
Motor-driven actuation systems including multi-axis joints, grippers, and end-effectors with precision encoder feedback.
High-bandwidth compute platforms (NVIDIA Jetson) running AI/ML inference for object detection, path planning, and anomaly detection on the production line.
Robust industrial communication backbones using EtherCAT, Ethernet, and wireless protocols for real-time control and fleet management.
Human-machine interface (HMI) hardware including display panels, audio feedback, and status lighting for operator interaction.
Field-deployed systems designed to meet industrial environmental ratings (IP65+, EMC/EMI, shock and vibration).
Core Responsibilities
Own schematic capture and collaborate closely on PCB layout using Altium Designer, ensuring signal integrity, DFM, and EMC best practices for robotic hardware.
Design and integrate serial communication interfaces (UART, SPI, I2C, I2S, I3C, EtherCAT) across embedded controllers, sensors, and actuators in the robot architecture.
Architect wired and wireless connectivity solutions including Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and 5G for robot-to-infrastructure and fleet management communication.
Design audio subsystems for HMI and operator alerting: microphone arrays (PDM/TDM), speaker driver amplifiers, and acoustic alert signal chains.
Develop display and visual feedback subsystems including LCD/TFT operator panels, status displays, and backlight control for RGB LED strips and fiber-optic indicator systems.
Lead cable harness design, wire routing documentation, and connector selection — with emphasis on industrial durability, vibration resistance, and ease of field serviceability.
Design and validate high-speed SerDes interfaces for multi-camera video transport and high-bandwidth sensor data pipelines within the robot.
Collaborate with firmware and motion control teams to define hardware interfaces for motor controllers, encoder inputs, and safety I/O.
Drive design reviews, root cause analysis, and continuous improvement across hardware development and robot field deployments.
Mentor junior and mid-level engineers; establish and maintain electrical design standards, templates, and design-for-manufacturing guidelines.
Partner with supply chain and manufacturing engineering to support NPI and sustaining production for robot hardware platforms.
Required Qualifications
B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering or closely related field.
8+ years of hands-on hardware design experience for Staff level; 12+ years for Principal level.
Experience designing electronics for robotics, industrial automation, or similarly demanding real-time embedded systems.
Deep expertise in serial interface protocols:
UART, SPI, I2C, I2S, I3C — embedded peripherals and sensor integration
EtherCAT — real-time industrial Ethernet fieldbus for motion control and I/O
Ethernet, Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax), and 5G/LTE modem integration for robot connectivity
Proven experience designing audio hardware:
Microphone array layouts (MEMS, PDM, analog), beamforming-ready topologies for HMI and voice alerting
Class-D and Class-AB speaker driver design and integration for operator feedback systems
Experience with display subsystems — LCD/TFT/OLED panel interfaces (MIPI DSI, parallel RGB, LVDS) and backlight circuitry (RGB LEDs, fiber-optic distribution) for robot status and HMI panels.
Proficiency in Altium Designer — schematic capture, multi-board design, library management, and understanding of PCB layout constraints (impedance control, differential pairs, power planes).
Strong knowledge of cable and interconnect engineering for industrial environments: wire gauge selection, shielding, strain relief, industrial connector standards (Molex, JST, Amphenol, TE Connectivity, Harting), IP/environmental ratings.
Experience designing with serializers and deserializers (SerDes) — e.g., GMSL, FPD-Link, or similar high-speed video/data transport ICs for multi-camera robot perception systems.
Proficiency with lab instruments: oscilloscope, logic analyzer, spectrum analyzer, network analyzer.
Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to produce clear design documentation and contribute to robot system-level architecture discussions.
Preferred Qualifications
The following are considered strong differentiators and are highly desirable for candidates joining our robotics hardware team:
NVIDIA GPU / Jetson Platform:
Experience designing carrier boards or peripheral hardware for NVIDIA Jetson (Orin, Xavier, Nano) — the primary compute platform in our robot perception and AI inference stack
Familiarity with PCIe, MIPI CSI-2, and high-speed I/O on NVIDIA SoMs
Texas Instruments Microcontrollers / DSPs:
Design experience with TI Sitara, C2000, MSP430, or TMS320 families for real-time robot control tasks
Familiarity with TI reference designs, EVM boards, and TI-RTOS/Code Composer Studio
Motor Control Hardware:
Gate driver and H-bridge / three-phase inverter design for brushed DC, BLDC, and stepper motors used in robot joints, grippers, and drive systems
Current sensing, protection circuitry, and thermal management for motor driver stages in continuous-duty robotic applications
Motor Encoder Interfaces:
Hardware design for incremental/absolute encoders (quadrature, SSI, BiSS-C, EnDat) for robot joint position and velocity feedback
Signal conditioning, noise immunity, and interface to real-time motion controllers in high-EMI factory environments
Camera Technology:
Image sensor integration (MIPI CSI-2, parallel, SLVS-EC) for robot vision and inspection systems
ISP pipeline architecture awareness, lens driver circuits (VCM, OIS), and camera module bring-up for manufacturing quality control applications
LiDAR Integration:
Experience with rotating or solid-state LiDAR modules (Velodyne, Ouster, Luminar, Hesai, or similar) for robot navigation and environment mapping
Power supply design, synchronization interfaces, and point-cloud data transport over Ethernet for real-time SLAM applications
Time-of-Flight (ToF) Sensors:
Board-level integration of ToF sensors (e.g., STMicroelectronics VL53xx, Sony IMX series) for proximity detection, bin-picking, and collision avoidance
Optical considerations, cover glass design, and depth data interface to host processors in robot perception pipelines
Prior experience in any of the following industrial robotics domains is a strong plus: autonomous mobile robots (AMR/AGV), robotic arms, cobots, industrial inspection systems, or factory automation platforms.