Staff Drivetrain Engineer
Apptronik
Salary undisclosed
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Description
Apptronik is a human-centered robotics company developing AI-powered robots to support humanity in every facet of life. Our flagship humanoid robot, Apollo, is built to collaborate thoughtfully with people, starting with critical industries such as manufacturing and logistics, with future applications in healthcare, the home, and beyond.
We operate at the cutting edge of Applied AI, applying our expertise across the full robotics stack to solve some of society's most important problems. You will join a team dedicated to bringing Apollo to market at scale, tackling the complex challenges like safety, commercialization, and mass production to change the world for the better.
JOB SUMMARY
We're looking for highly motivated and talented engineers with hands-on experience and a passion for robotics to join our team. Specifically, we seek a Staff Drivetrain Engineer with proven capabilities in drivetrain design – gear design, gearbox architectures, and testing.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES or KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES
- Conceptualize, design, build, and test drivetrain technologies for use in electric actuators
- Design drivetrains to optimize for mass, volume, inertia, efficiency, torques, and speeds
- Design gear tooth profiles to optimize for backlash, efficiency, strength, and lifetime
- Select layout and type of bearings based on performance characteristics, loads, and packaging
- Select lubrication strategy with maintenance, performance, and lifetime in mind
- Perform analysis (FEA, gear analysis software, static analysis, etc) to optimize and validate design
- Select materials and manufacturing methods to optimize for actuation performance and cost
- Create GD&T-informed drawings, a Bill of Material, and procurement documentation
- Produce assembly instructions and finalize project documentation
- Participate in pilot build of your design
- Perform DVP&R to ensure design meets requirements
- Iterate on design to harden for scalability and DFMA
- Collaborate with a small cross-disciplinary team of engineers
SKILLS AND REQUIREMENTS
- High proficiency in gear design software (KISSsoft, Romax, or similar) and CAD (NX, Solidworks, Onshape, etc)
- Strong understanding of gear manufacturing technologies, gear analysis, and tribology
- Extensive knowledge of types of gearboxes (planetary, spur gear, etc) and relevant industry standards (AGMA, SAE, ISO, etc)
- Mastery of engineering fundamentals / first principles
- Exceptional attention to detail
- Excellent teamwork and collaboration
- Outstanding organizational and time management skills
- The ability to multi-task and manage conflicting deadlines
- Strong written and verbal communication
- Great team player able to perform within a dynamic start-up environment
EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE
- Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Mechanical Engineering or related field
- 8+ years of experience in development of drivetrains, gearboxes, actuators, or similar, specifically within the robotics, automotive, or aerospace industries
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
- Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
- Must be able to lift 15 pounds at times
- Vision to read printed materials and a computer screen
- Hearing and speech to communicate
*This is a direct hire. Please, no outside Agency solicitations.
Apptronik provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
About this role
Apptronik is seeking a Staff Drivetrain Engineer to design and optimize the drivetrain systems powering Apollo, a humanoid robot built for manufacturing, logistics, and beyond. You'll own the full lifecycle of drivetrain development—from conceptualizing gear architectures and tooth profiles through FEA analysis, material selection, manufacturing planning, and design validation. This role demands deep expertise in gear design software, gearbox types, tribology, and industry standards, paired with the ability to balance competing demands like mass, efficiency, backlash, and cost across electric actuators destined for production at scale.
You'll work hands-on within a small cross-disciplinary engineering team, moving from design through pilot builds and design-for-manufacturability iterations. The position requires 8+ years of drivetrain or actuator development experience in robotics, automotive, or aerospace, along with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or equivalent. Success here hinges on mastery of first principles, meticulous attention to detail, and the organizational discipline to manage multiple workstreams in a dynamic startup environment. This is an in-office, full-time role based in Austin, Texas.
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