Firmware Engineer – Hands Austin, TX

Overview

Apptronik is a human‑centered robotics company developing AI‑powered robots to support humanity in various industries. 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 are seeking a Junior Firmware Engineer to help develop firmware for the dexterous hands of our humanoid robots. The role involves collaborating with the existing firmware team to implement, test, and debug embedded software that drives in‑house hand designs, including motor control, sensor integration, and real‑time communications that connect the hand to the rest of the robot. You will work with mechanical, electrical, and systems engineers as the hand evolves from prototype to production, contribute to hardware bring‑up, and help build out HIL and SIL tests for hand firmware.

You will help maintain firmware quality and reliability as we scale from prototypes to fleets of hundreds of hands deployed in the field. As you grow on the team, you will participate in code and design reviews and contribute to our hand firmware stack alongside more experienced engineers.

• Collaborate with the hands firmware team to develop, deploy, and maintain firmware for in‑house dexterous hand designs, including motor control, sensor I/O, and real‑time communications.
• Work closely with mechanical engineers as the hand design evolves; ensure firmware tracks the mechanical design and exposes the right interfaces for tuning and validation.
• Contribute to motor control firmware for the small motors that drive the hand, including current control and basic position/torque loops.
• Develop firmware for distributed embedded networks that connect multiple MCUs.
• Help shape and execute the Hardware‑in‑the‑Loop (HIL) and Software‑in‑the‑Loop (SIL) testing strategy to validate hand performance, safety, and reliability at scale.
• Drive firmware quality, reliability, and field performance for fleets of hundreds of hands deployed in production humanoid robots, including telemetry, diagnostics, and root‑cause analysis of field failures.
• Work with cross‑functional engineering teams to bring up hand hardware from prototype through production.
• Participate in code reviews, design reviews, and pair debugging, learning from and contributing alongside senior engineers.
• Contribute to discussions on tooling, processes, and patterns, with guidance from more experienced engineers.

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent practical experience;
  Master's degree with a focus on controls, motor drives, or embedded systems is especially valued.
• 0–2 years of relevant experience developing embedded software, including internships, co‑ops, research, or significant academic or personal projects; recent graduates are encouraged to apply.
• Solid working proficiency in C/C++; familiarity with Python, Docker, and Git.
• Exposure to firmware development for resource‑constrained embedded hardware (limited flash, RAM, and CPU; many peripherals across few MCUs).
• Familiarity with real‑time embedded firmware concepts and an eagerness to develop hard real‑time skills.
• Familiarity with motor control concepts for BLDC motors (e.g., field‑oriented control, current control, or position control).
• Familiarity with distributed embedded networks where multiple MCUs cooperate over real‑time buses.
• Exposure to deploying firmware to embedded devices through internships, projects, or coursework.
• Strong hardware debugging skills using tools such as oscilloscopes and logic analyzers.
• Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics (Altium Designer preferred) and hardware datasheets.
• Experience with embedded communication protocols such as SPI, UART, RS‑485, and CAN.
• Demonstrated ability to work closely with mechanical engineers on tightly integrated electromechanical assemblies.
• Eagerness to learn, take feedback, and grow technically within a collaborative team setting.

• Experience with humanoid robotics, prosthetics,…