Senior Manager, Hardware Connectivity

JOB SUMMARY:

We are seeking a Senior Manager of Hardware Connectivity to lead the team that designs and implements the "nervous system" of Apollo. In a humanoid robot, data is just as critical as power. Your team will be responsible for ensuring that every piece of data—from high-bandwidth sensor data to low-latency joint control, to cloud telematics—is transmitted flawlessly across the system and to the outside world. You will manage a team of engineers specializing in high/low-speed signal integrity, internal networks, wire harnessing, wireless data links (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Cellular), and EMI/EMC. You will ensure that Apollo’s internal networks are robust against the mechanical realities of articulating joints and the electrical noise of high-power motor drives.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES or KEY ACCOUNTABILITES:

• Team Leadership & Growth: Manage, mentor, and grow a team of electrical, RF, and interconnect engineers. Empower Tech Leads, conduct design reviews, and allocate resources effectively across rapid hardware development cycles.
• Internal Network Architecture: Oversee the physical layer design and routing rules for all internal communication buses distributed throughout the robot's body.
• External Wireless & RF: Lead the integration and antenna design strategies for wireless data links, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Cellular (5G/LTE), enabling robust telemetry, OTA updates, and teleoperation.
• Interconnects & Harnessing: Own the physical design, shielding, and dynamic routing of wire harnesses and custom flex-PCBs across Apollo’s articulating joints, minimizing wear and ensuring maximum lifecycle reliability.
• EMI/EMC & Signal Integrity: Define the grounding architectures, shielding strategies, and spectrum management plans required to isolate sensitive data and RF signals from the massive electromagnetic noise generated by the robot's high-power mechatronics.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with other Electrical Engineering teams, as well as Mechanical Engineering and Software, to ensure seamless system integration and packaging.

SKILLS AND REQUIREMENTS

• Domain Expertise: Deep technical background in at least two of the following areas:
  • RF engineering and wireless module integration (Cellular, Wi-Fi, BT).
  • Complex wire harness design and flex-PCBs for dynamic, moving systems.
  • EMI/EMC mitigation, grounding architectures, and compliance testing (FCC/CE).
  • High-speed and low-speed digital signal integrity.
• System-Level Thinking: Proven ability to manage the competing physical constraints (thermal, mechanical packaging, electrical noise) found in tightly integrated hardware.
• Leadership Style: A hands-on leader who can dive into schematics or layout reviews when necessary, but knows how to delegate and elevate senior technical contributors.

 

NICE TO HAVE:

• Prior experience in humanoid robotics, complex industrial automation, electric vehicles (EV), or aerospace.
• Experience taking a complex, mixed-signal hardware product from prototype through high-volume manufacturing.
• Hands-on experience in an anechoic chamber or taking products through formal EMC certification.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

• Education: BS or MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience: 10+ years of professional engineering experience in hardware design, with at least 4+ years of direct people management experience.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• Vision to read printed materials and a computer screen
• Hearing and speech to communicate