Staff Power Systems Safety Engineer
Job description
About the role
Staff Power Systems Safety Engineer
Apptronik builds robots to serve people across many environments. The company develops machines that work alongside humans, beginning with manufacturing and logistics operations. Future plans include applications in healthcare and residential settings. Apollo is the primary humanoid system the company is bringing to market.
This role focuses exclusively on the electrical safety of Apollo's power delivery infrastructure. The robot operates in demanding conditions, pulling high currents through a compact, moving chassis. The position requires someone who can define, enforce, and verify safety rules at every layer of the power network. Decisions made in this role directly influence how the robot responds during fault conditions.
Location for this position is Austin, Texas. The role is full-time, and the compensation range is $140,000.00 to $180,000.00 annually.
Job Summary
The Staff Power Systems Safety Engineer is the final authority on power safety for Apollo. The position requires mastery of electrical standards and the ability to convert abstract safety concepts into physical rules that cannot be violated. You will ensure that dangerous energy is always controlled in a predictable way.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Hardware Safety Architecture
You will convert high-level safety goals into specific rules for schematics, board layouts, and physical structures. Every requirement must trace down to a concrete mechanism on the hardware. You will design dedicated pathways that isolate safety functions from normal operation. These pathways must react instantly when danger appears.
You will design circuits that enforce Safe Torque Off, Safe Brake Control, and Emergency Stop functions. Each safety function must meet strict levels of reliability as defined by ISO 13849-1 and IEC 61508. You will define the exact boundary between software controls and hardware enforcement. Safety-critical actions must rely on physical wiring that cannot be altered by software errors.
PCB and Interconnect Design Authority
You will establish rules that govern how power moves through printed circuit boards. Trace widths, spacing, and layer stacks must follow IPC-2221 and IPC-2223 standards. You will set requirements for board acceptance based on IPC-A-600 and IPC-A-610 inspections.
You will direct the selection of PCB stack-ups and define limits for heavy copper planes. Thermal performance and current handling capacity will be specified for power distribution boards, motor controllers, and compute modules. You will ensure that overcurrent events are handled by protection devices long before wires or boards are damaged.
Your work will follow IEC 60204-1 coordination rules. You will design fuse and breaker systems so that the closest device to the fault opens first. This prevents widespread shutdowns and protects insulation, connectors, and composite materials.
Risk Analysis, Root Cause, and Auditing
You will act as the safety gatekeeper for all power-related engineering changes. No board spin or assembly adjustment will proceed without your approval if it touches safety functions. You will retain veto authority over any decision that reduces safety margins.
You will perform Hardware Failure Mode and Effects Analysis for every power circuit. You will conduct Hazard Analysis and Risk Assessments to identify dangerous energy states. You will build Fault Tree Analyses that explain how multiple small failures could combine into serious events.
You will use SPICE tools to model extreme scenarios. Simulations will cover component tolerances, temperature swings, and long-term aging effects. You will prove that margins remain sufficient under the worst conditions imaginable.
When power anomalies occur, you will lead the investigation. You will trace failures through hardware, firmware logs, and physical evidence. You will determine root causes and drive corrective actions that prevent recurrence.
Requirements
You hold a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or a similar technical discipline. You have three to five years of experience designing power systems or safety-critical hardware. You understand how functional safety standards apply to mobile robots. You are comfortable reading ISO 13849 and IEC 61508 documents and applying them to real circuits.
You can build detailed SPICE models and interpret complex simulation results. You are methodical, documenting every assumption and verification step. You communicate clearly with both engineers and non-technical stakeholders.
Nice to Have
Experience with the Apollo platform or similar human-centered robotic systems is helpful but not mandatory. Familiarity with mobile power architectures, battery management, and load sharing will accelerate your contribution.
Skills and Tools
Apollo | SPICE | Functional Safety | Hardware Design | DFMEA | HARA | WCCA
Practical Notes
Details on compensation, equity, and benefits are available on the official application page. Confirm all information there before submitting materials.