Electrical Engineer, Actuator Systems

About the role

Figure builds autonomous humanoid robots designed for commercial and home use with human level intelligence. We are seeking an Electrical Engineer to join our Actuator Systems team to develop and verify the power electronics and motor control hardware powering our robots. You will own the end to end development of motor control and actuator electronics, translating high level system requirements into robust hardware solutions. This role involves deep collaboration with mechanical, software, and validation teams to ensure the electrical systems meet performance, safety, and reliability targets. You will be responsible for creating schematics, layouts, and verification plans that enable precise control of actuators in demanding environments. The position requires you to manage complex tradeoffs between power density, efficiency, cost, and manufacturability. You will also play a key role in debugging hardware issues that arise during system integration and testing. Your work will directly impact the responsiveness and stability of the robot's physical interactions with the world.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Conduct trade studies and conceptual design work to define motor control architectures and select appropriate components.
• Create and validate PCBA designs for motor control and actuator systems, including gate drivers, motor controllers, mixed-signal sensing, and power distribution.
• Perform schematic capture and layout using Altium Designer, ensuring compliance with electrical rules and manufacturing constraints.
• Manage thermal, noise, and signal integrity requirements across digital, analog, and power domains on integrated boards.
• Review bill of materials, layouts, and schematics from internal peers and outside vendors to ensure correctness and compliance.
• Develop verification plans and execute tests on prototype hardware to validate functionality and performance.
• Participate in hands-on system testing and hardware debugging at both bench and system levels.
• Implement motor feedback circuits, encoder interfaces, and current sensing schemes to support closed loop control.
• Support the integration of power electronics such as battery management, switching regulators, and DC-DC converters.
• Collaborate with software engineers to provide hardware interfaces and support firmware development for FPGAs, DSPs, and microcontrollers.

Requirements

• Hold a Bachelor or graduate degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field.
• Possess a minimum of 2 years of professional industry experience in hardware development.
• Demonstrate proficiency in Altium Designer for both layout and schematic capture.
• Show a background in motor controller design, specifically H-bridges, gate drivers, BLDC/PMSM topologies, and FOC.
• Have experience with mixed-signal hardware spanning digital, analog, and power domains.
• Prove ability to troubleshoot hardware issues, document results, and resolve problems efficiently.
• Be comfortable working in a fast paced environment with evolving requirements and tight timelines.
• Communicate effectively with cross functional teams and articulate technical tradeoffs and decisions.

Nice to have

• Experience with power electronics including battery management, switching regulators, and DC-DC converters.
• Familiarity with motor feedback circuits, encoder interfaces, and current sensing.
• Background in rigid-flex, flex, or HDI small form factor board design.
• Programming experience with FPGAs, DSPs, or microcontrollers for motor control.
• Proficiency with simulation software like LTspice.
• Previous work in drones, automotive, robotics, or other motor driven systems.

Practical notes

• Compensation is determined by individual skills, experience, and job-related knowledge. Additional benefits and compensation components will be disclosed upon receipt of an offer.
• This role is based in San Jose, Canada and requires eligibility to work in that country.
• Employment is offered as full-time permanent staff.
• Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the country where the position is located without requiring sponsorship at this time.
• The position may involve travel within the region as needed for project activities or team collaboration.
• The hiring process will include technical assessments and interviews to evaluate both practical skills and conceptual understanding.
• Applicants are encouraged to highlight relevant projects and experiences that demonstrate their ability to design and validate motor control hardware.
• Only candidates who meet the stated requirements will be considered for further stages of the hiring process.
• Successful completion of background checks may be required prior to final offer.
• This role is part of a growing hardware organization focused on enabling advanced actuator control for humanoid robots.
• You will be expected to work closely with manufacturing partners to ensure designs are scalable and reliable.
• Documentation of design decisions and verification results is an essential part of the role.
• The team values clarity, ownership, and proactive problem solving in all aspects of hardware development.
• Proficiency in thermal analysis and component derating practices is strongly encouraged due to the power levels involved.
• Familiarity with industry standards for safety and reliability in electromechanical systems is considered beneficial.
• You should be comfortable using version control for design artifacts and collaborating through code like hardware review processes.
• The role requires adaptability as new actuator technologies and control strategies are introduced.
• Strong time management skills are necessary to balance multiple design iterations and test cycles.
• Effective use of simulation tools to predict circuit behavior before building prototypes is a key part of the expected workflow.
• You will contribute to design reviews, failure analysis sessions, and product improvement initiatives.
• Continuous learning and knowledge sharing are part of the culture as the team expands and technologies evolve.
• The position offers opportunities to work on cutting edge hardware for applications in home, commercial, and research settings.
• Your contributions will help define the reliability and performance benchmarks for future generations of actuator systems.
• This is a hands on role where your designs will be built, tested, and iterated upon regularly.
• Collaboration with suppliers and component manufacturers will be part of the process to secure parts that meet technical and cost targets.
• You will support validation activities in laboratory settings, including environmental and endurance testing.
• The successful candidate will demonstrate strong ownership of deliverables and a bias for action.
• Clear written and verbal communication is essential for coordinating with distributed teams and stakeholders.
• You will be expected to mentor junior engineers and contribute to technical documentation and training materials.
• The role aligns with the broader mission of creating capable, reliable, and safe robots that can assist people in everyday settings.