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Senior PCBA Design Engineer

Apptronik· Hardware
Apply on company site
Austin, TXfull-timePosted 1mo ago

About the role

Apptronik is a human-centered robotics company focusing on AI-powered robots. The role involves owning PCB schematic capture and layout in Altium Designer with emphasis on power electronics and high-speed digital design, guiding boards from architecture to production-ready implementation in collaboration with electrical, mechanical, and manufacturing teams.

Responsibilities

  • PCB Design & Layout: Schematic capture and PCB layout for mixed-signal, power, and high-speed digital boards; define stack-up, layer count, and material selection to meet electrical, thermal, and cost targets.
  • Power Design: Design and route power delivery networks, accounting for current-carrying capacity, copper weight, and thermal reliefs for layouts of DC/DC converters, power switching circuits, and bus/rail distribution for optimal power integrity.
  • High-Speed Design: Implement controlled-impedance routing, differential pair routing, length matching/tuning, and via strategy for high-speed interfaces (e.g., PCIe, DDR, USB, Ethernet, LVDS, SerDes).
  • DFM / DFA: Apply design-for-manufacturability and design-for-assembly best practices; partner with PCB fabricators and CM(s) on DRCs, panelization, tolerancing, and yield/cost tradeoffs.
  • EMC / EMI: Apply grounding, shielding, filtering, and layer-stack techniques to mitigate EMI/EMC risk; support pre-compliance testing (CE, FCC, UL) as needed.
  • Standards & Compliance: Design and document to IPC standards (IPC-2221, IPC-6012, IPC-2152) and internal rules; maintain design rule sets, layer stack templates, and library standards.
  • Documentation: Produce manufacturing outputs (Gerbers, drill files, BOMs, fabrication/assembly drawings) and maintain design documentation and constraint files; support design releases in PLM.
  • Library Management: Create and maintain Altium schematic symbols, PCB footprints, and component library data per standards and lifecycle requirements.
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work with electrical, mechanical, thermal, and manufacturing engineers; participate in design reviews and provide layout feasibility input early; coordinate with ECAD vendors on renewals and tool issues under EE manager oversight.
  • Mentorship: Mentor junior/mid-level designers on layout best practices, documentation standards, and Altium usage.

Qualifications

  • Expert-level proficiency in Altium Designer for schematic capture and PCB layout; rule-driven design, layer stack management, and library administration.
  • Demonstrated experience designing and laying out power electronics: DC/DC converters, power planes, high-current traces, thermal management, and protection schemes (fusing, current limiting).
  • Demonstrated experience with high-speed digital layout: impedance-controlled routing, differential pairs, length matching, via optimization, and GHz-class interfaces.
  • Knowledge of SI/PI concepts and impact of layout decisions; experience collaborating with SI/PI engineers or basic simulations is a plus.
  • DFM/DFA principles and direct fabrication/CM experience.
  • EMC/EMI mitigation techniques in layout (grounding, shielding, plane splits, filtering).
  • Familiarity with IPC standards; CID/CID+ preferred but not required.
  • Experience with flex, rigid-flex, or HDI/microvia design is a plus.
  • Strong written and verbal communication; ability to document clearly and communicate tradeoffs to stakeholders.
  • Ability to manage multiple concurrent designs and mentor others; thrive in fast-paced, high-growth environments.

Skills

Required:Altium DesignerPower electronics designHigh-speed digital designDFM/DFAEMC/EMI mitigation
Nice to have:SI/PI conceptsIPC standards
Last updated Aug 30, 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
Company profileWebsite

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