Staff Electrical Engineer

Brain Corp is a San Diego, California, USA-based AI company creating transformative core technology for the robotics industry. Our purpose is to create autonomous technology that helps the real world work better. Brain's robotic and AI solutions help retailers ensure that the right product is on the right shelf at the right price, in a clean environment. Through the BrainOS® Robotics Platform, which powers the largest global fleet of the Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) in operation in commercial public spaces, Brain Corp delivers insightful and efficient automated solutions in both commercial floor cleaning and inventory management, empowering organizations and their employees to achieve more. Brain Corp currently powers more than 30,000 AMRs, representing the largest fleet of its kind in the world. Brain Corp is funded by the SoftBank Vision Fund, Clearbridge, and Qualcomm Ventures.

Position Summary:

As a member of the Engineering Hardware team, the Staff Electrical Engineer is responsible for reviewing, debugging, modifying and evaluating electrical circuitry to be used on autonomous mobile robots in a fast and dynamic product development environment. The Staff Electrical Engineer will work closely with 3rd party contract manufacturers in JDM/ODM type design and development, and is independently responsible for all stages of electrical hardware development, including initial design, validation, and testing, while ensuring compliance with technical specifications.

Essential Job Functions:

• Create detailed electrical design package (including specifications, BOMs, schematics, wiring diagrams, analyses, etc.) and support design reviews, testing, certifications, and production
• Test and debug circuit designs incorporating specialized hardware devices such as CPUs, MCUs, cameras, analog and digital sensors, motor drivers, etc.
• Conduct root cause analysis at board and system level across several disciplines; initiate, document, and deploy design changes (ECOs) to implement fixes and workarounds  
• Manage and expand relationships with outsourced development partners on electrical hardware design and development  
• Provide technical leadership and design guidance to drive development partners to deliver hardware solutions, including electronics design, validation, tooling, manufacturing, and testing
• Actively engage with suppliers and stakeholders to gather requirements, provide technical expertise, and support business development activities; lead technical demonstrations and discussions to validate and promote engineering solutions
• Collaborate closely with and act as a technical resource to cross-functional teams to ensure that engineering solutions meet both technical and business requirements
• Provide guidance for compliance testing such as EMC and ESD and provide design solutions 
• Manage project segments or phases of larger projects, including defining scopes, timelines, and resource allocations with autonomy
• Contribute to quality assurance practices, risk management processes, and reliability testing to ensure the highest standards of electrical system safety, performance, and compliance; identify and mitigate risks throughout the design and development lifecycle
• Maintain a commitment to ongoing professional development and the adoption of new technologies and methodologies.
• Manage a small team of electrical engineers; lead, mentor, coach and provide feedback

Education and/or Work Experience Requirements: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering
• 8+ years experience in designing electronic hardware with proficiency in:
• CAD tools and software packages such as OrCAD, Allegro, Altium
• Performing electrical/electronic design calculations and using circuit simulation tools such as PSpice to make sure a design meets requirements
• Analog signal conditioning and digital signal processing for electro-mechanical switches and optical, IR, sonar, and MEMS sensors
• Design of interfaces such as UART, SPI, I2C, CAN, PCIE, USB 2/3/Type-C, Ethernet, CSI
• Techniques for single-ended and differential transmission lines for these buses, proper trace length matching, impedance matching, etc
• Design of power supplies, inverters, power conditioning and protection and distribution in a noisy electrical environment
• Wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 4G LTE, etc.
• Sourcing electronic components, selecting for manufacturability and production longevity
• PC board fabrication, creating design files for fabrication and PCB technologies including fabrication techniques for high-speed data lines
• 8+ years hands-on experience debugging devices and solving difficult hardware issues
• Proficient using lab equipment such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, spectrum analyzers, soldering equipment, etc.
• Expert analytical and problem-solving skills, capable of designing experiments and tests to flush out hardware and firmware bugs

Required Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other Characteristics: 

• Expert understanding of PCBA and device testing and standards compliance testing
• Evaluate and propose modeling and testing methodologies to validate component, circuit, and hardware designs and thermal/emissions management
• Proficient with test scripting such as Python, C, etc.
• Proficient in overall architecture of electronic hardware for products and solutions
• Affinity for lab work and troubleshooting complex electronic circuits
• Familiar with the design and layout of high-speed digital interfaces

Things that make a difference:

• Experience in autonomous vehicles, robotics, or related industry
• Ability to read firmware written in C

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Essential functions may require maintaining the physical condition necessary for sitting, walking or standing for periods of time; operating a computer and keyboard; use of hands to finger and grasp; talk and hear at normal room levels; visual acuity to determine the accuracy, neatness, and thoroughness of the work assigned or to make general observations of facilities or structures; push or pull up to 20 pounds.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate. Employee is exposed to the typical office environment with computers, printers and telephones.

Salary Range:

The anticipated salary range for candidates who will work in San Diego, California is $119,506 to $154,655. The final salary offered to a successful candidate will be dependent on several factors that may include but are not limited to the type and length of experience within the job, type and length of experience within the industry, education, etc. Brain Corp is a multi-state employer and this salary range may not reflect positions that work in other states.

In addition to base pay, our competitive total rewards package consists of:

• A discretionary annual target bonus
• Stock options
• 401(k) plan with match (no waiting period and immediate vesting)
• Comprehensive suite of insurance benefits for employees (and their families) to include a variety of medical plan options (including an HSA with employer contribution), dental, vision, life and disability insurance, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Legal/Identity support plans, pet insurance.
• Access to Flexible Spending Accounts (Medical and Dependent Care)
• Generous paid time off including flexible vacation, Paid Sick Leave, time off for volunteering in the community, 10 paid company holidays, and a winter company shutdown

Additional Perks include:

• Daily on-site lunch available in the San Diego office 
• On-campus gym including pool and tennis courts in the San Diego office
• Opportunities to connect with colleagues including monthly game nights, hikes, wellness challenges, and community events 
• Internal continuous learning events 
• Opportunities to share your own interests and hobbies with the Company