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Staff Test Engineer - Actuators

Apptronik· Test & Validation
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Austin, TXfull-timePosted 3mo ago

About the role

Staff Test Engineer – Actuation to own the design verification and NPI test process for Apptronik's custom actuator systems. Hands-on, multi-disciplinary role spanning mechanical, electrical, firmware, and software testing to drive actuator characterization, development of test methods, and production-ready automation.

Responsibilities

  • Actuator Bringup & Calibration: Lead the bringup process for new actuator hardware — including firmware deployment, motor and encoder calibration, and functional verification. Develop documented, repeatable procedures that can be transferred to test ops for production use.
  • Design Verification Testing: Plan and execute tests to confirm performance against requirements. Characterize actuator performance across the operating envelope. Tests span mechanical (e.g., efficiency, stiffness, backlash, life), electrical (e.g., peak current, thermal limits, drive performance), and system-level (e.g., positional accuracy, off-axis loading, effort production). Highlight and resolve gaps in requirements / test plans.
  • Test Method Development for Production: Design and validate the production test methods used during NPI with Manufacturing Test team.
  • Test Equipment Operation: Operate and configure dynamometer, benchtop, and custom test setups; manage fixture configurations and load motor modes across actuator/gearbox variants.
  • Failure replication, root cause analysis, design feedback: Replicate failures, provide clear bug reports to design engineering, perform root cause analysis, and offer design improvements for testability.
  • System Identification: Apply system identification techniques to characterize actuator dynamics (inertia, friction, bandwidth, torque constant) to support hardware validation and simulation fidelity.

Qualifications

  • Direct hands-on experience testing and characterizing actuators, motors, or gearboxes, including operation of dynamometer or motor test stand systems.
  • Experience with motor bringup and calibration workflows with firmware and electrical fluency to diagnose calibration and drive faults independently.
  • Strong cross-disciplinary debugging ability across mechanical, electrical, and firmware domains.
  • Demonstrated experience designing test methods and procedures with pass/fail criteria and handoff documentation, not just executing scripts.
  • Ability to read electrical schematics, mechanical drawings, and motor datasheets.
  • Experience working in multi-disciplinary hardware teams with fast iteration cycles.
  • Comfortable operating at staff level: leading technical workstreams, influencing decisions with data, mentoring others.
  • Experience transitioning test methods from R&D into production or manufacturing environments.

Skills

Required:Actuator testing and characterizationMotor bringup and calibration workflows

Benefits

  • Equal employment opportunities
  • Non-discrimination policies
Last updated Oct 18, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

About Apptronik

One Platform for the Future of Work

Apptronik designs humanoid robotics platforms with mobility, manipulation, and human-centered interaction to support people in the workplace.

3PLApolloApollo for ManufacturingApollo for RetailApollo for WarehouseBuilt for the Real WorldForm That Fits the WorkGoods-to-Person
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