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OpenAI's Robotics team is seeking a senior electrical engineer to lead the design and deployment of printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) test infrastructure for advanced robotic systems. This is a senior individual-contributor role combining development-lab work with deployment at contract manufacturers.
You will independently own PCBA test-station architecture from concept through reliable daily operation. Responsibilities include designing test stations for board bring-up, programming, functional test, and characterization; translating board requirements into test coverage and pass/fail criteria; designing fixture interface boards, switching circuits, harnesses, and connectors; integrating oscilloscopes, meters, power supplies, and data acquisition hardware; developing programming and communications interfaces (JTAG/SWD, UART, SPI, I²C, CAN, Ethernet); designing power sequencing, ESD protection, and fault recovery; partnering with mechanical, firmware, and software teams; writing and maintaining test code for instrument control and automated sequences; establishing commissioning and calibration procedures; and owning test-station deployment and acceptance at contract manufacturers.
The role requires strong intuition for analog and digital circuits, power delivery, and electronics debugging. You will move fluidly from architecture and circuit design to hands-on lab work—soldering, probing, scripting, and troubleshooting. Success means commissioning reusable test stations with documented coverage, demonstrating measurement repeatability, and releasing clear hardware documentation and versioned test code that enables both lab and factory teams to operate and maintain stations reliably.
The position is based in San Francisco and requires in-person presence 4 days per week. Travel to contract-manufacturer sites is part of the role, with timing based on build and deployment needs.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Demonstrated ability to independently deliver significant electronics test-system projects from ambiguous requirements through working hardware, validation, and sustained use.
- Hands-on capability in circuit and fixture-interface design, schematic interpretation, board bring-up, power delivery, signal switching, and instrument integration.
- Ability to independently debug PCBAs and test hardware using oscilloscopes, meters, logic analyzers, and systematic root-cause investigation.
- Ability to write, debug, and maintain code interfacing with real hardware in Python or comparable language, including instrument control, sequencing, error handling, and structured result logging.
- Practical understanding of grounding, signal integrity, calibration, measurement uncertainty, ESD controls, power sequencing, and electrical protection.
- Ability to release clear test and hardware documentation, coordinate across engineering disciplines, and support hands-on deployment and troubleshooting at contract manufacturers.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechatronics, or related field, or equivalent practical experience.
- Prior PCBA functional-test or automated-test-equipment experience, including design for test, test coverage, fixture correlation, and new-product builds at contract manufacturers.
- Experience with embedded programming, diagnostic firmware, and board interfaces such as JTAG/SWD, UART, SPI, I²C, CAN, or Ethernet.
- Experience with PCB design tools, shared test-automation frameworks, production data systems, or robotics hardware.
