Staff Wire Harness Engineer
Location: Austin, TX
Department: Hardware
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
As a Staff Wire Harness Engineer, you are the principal technical authority for the "nervous system" of our humanoid platform. You don't just design harnesses; you define the interconnect architecture that enables Apollo to move, sense, and think. This role requires a rare blend of deep electrical knowledge , mechanical integration, and strategic leadership. You will own the technical roadmap for power and data distribution, ensuring our systems are not only robust but also optimized for mass production and field serviceability.
Responsibilities
- Interconnect Architecture: Define the top-level electrical distribution strategy for the entire robot, including grounding schemes, shielding architecture, and power/data separation protocols.
- Joint-Crossing Lifecycle Leadership: Own the technical strategy for harness routing across high-DOF joints. Develop and validate mathematical models for cable life expectancy (millions of cycles) and select materials that survive extreme dynamic environments.
- Standardization & Tooling: Establish company-wide standards for E-CAD workflows, library management, and drawing requirements. Lead the selection and implementation of enterprise-level harness design software (e.g., Zuken E3, Capital).
- Cross-Functional System Design: Act as the primary technical bridge between EE, MechE, and Manufacturing. Lead high-level trade-off analyses regarding connector density vs. serviceability and mass vs. thermal performance.
- DfX: Drive Design for Excellence (DfX) initiatives to reduce harness complexity, part count, and assembly time. Evaluate and qualify advanced techniques like overmolding, ultrasonic welding, and custom busbars.
- Root Cause & Reliability: Lead failure analysis for the most complex system-level electrical issues. Use advanced diagnostic tools and DFMEAs to identify and mitigate "hidden" failure modes in signal integrity or power transients.
- Vendor & Supply Chain Strategy: Partner with Sourcing to vet and manage strategic harness manufacturing partners, ensuring our technical requirements are met during the transition from prototype to high-volume production.
- Mentorship: Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior and senior engineers, conducting deep-dive design reviews and fostering a culture of technical excellence.
Qualifications
- Experience: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in EE, ME, or Robotics with 8+ years of experience in complex electromechanical systems.
- Subject Matter Expertise: Expert-level knowledge of High-Speed Data and High-Power distribution within a single, space-constrained harness.
- Dynamic Routing: Proven track record of designing harnesses for high-cycle dynamic applications (robotics, aerospace gimbals, or automotive doors/hatches).
- E-CAD Mastery: Advanced proficiency in Zuken E3.series, Siemens Capital, or SolidWorks Electrical, including database management and automated report generation.
- Physics-Based Design: Deep understanding of EMI/EMC mitigation, shielding effectiveness, and thermal derating of conductors in bundled configurations.
- Communication: Ability to distill complex technical trade-offs into actionable recommendations for executive leadership.
- Industry Standards: Deep familiarity with IPC-WHMA-620 and related aerospace/automotive quality standards.
*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.
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