Electrical Engineer, End-Effectors

Our Robotics team is focused on unlocking general-purpose robotics and advancing toward AGI-level intelligence in dynamic, real-world environments. Working across the full model and systems stack, we integrate cutting-edge hardware and software to explore a broad range of robotic form factors. We strive to seamlessly blend high-level AI capabilities with the physical constraints of real-world systems to improve people’s lives.

About the Role

As an Electrical Engineer on the Robotics team, you will help enable the next generation of embodied AI. You will be the first engineer focused exclusively on end-effector electrical systems, with strong support from mechanical, firmware, and robotics systems teams. You will design and prototype circuits to integrate novel sensors for tactile, force, and position sensing. You will contribute to - and over time, own - the electrical architecture for robotic end-effectors.

By working closely across disciplines and with external suppliers, you will ensure that every part of the system - from schematic capture to layout and production - meets the highest standards of reliability, performance, and scalability. This role offers a unique opportunity to shape how advanced interaction and sensing technologies power adaptive, intelligent machines in the real world.

This role is based in San Francisco, CA, and requires in-person presence 4 days a week.

You might thrive in this role if you:

Have 6+ years of experience designing electrical systems for compact products such as consumer electronics, wearables, medical devices, or robotics platforms.

Have experience keeping a high quality bar in a fast-moving environment that aims to produce reliable and safe products.

Have hands-on experience with thermal management and efficient power electronics in extremely space-constrained environments.

Have integrated sensing technologies such as magnetic absolute encoders, force sensors, or tactile sensors into compact electro-mechanical systems.

Have experience designing, prototyping, and iterating on novel sensing technologies and applications.

Are comfortable routing and validating high-speed digital interfaces adjacent to power electronics (e.g., Ethernet, CAN, RS-485).

Have practical experience addressing EMI/ESD challenges in tightly coupled motor and sensor systems.

Have collaborated closely with cross-functional partners to define requirements and translate them into practical, rapidly iterated prototype designs.

Have managed the full lifecycle of a design from schematic capture and PCB layout through low-volume production, test, and bring-up.

Are able to co-design with mechanical engineers under active development, iterating rapidly under evolving constraints and ambiguity.

Hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field, or possess equivalent practical experience.

Additional, preferred qualifications:

A strong passion for electro-mechanical product design, creative problem-solving, and building novel physical systems.

Practical experience designing rigid-flex PCBs, connectors, and wire harness strategies for compact, continuously moving assemblies.

Experience supporting the development of factory test and calibration tooling for electrical and sensor systems.

Experience designing systems intended for high-volume production, troubleshooting issues on assembly lines, and partnering closely with contract manufacturing teams throughout the design lifecycle.

Familiarity with embedded bring-up and test firmware development in C, C++, or Rust.

About OpenAI

OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that general-purpose artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. We push the boundaries of the capabilities of AI systems and seek to safely deploy them to the world through our products. AI is an extremely powerful tool that must be created with safety and human needs at its core, and to achieve our mission, we must encompass and value the many different perspectives, voices, and experiences that form the full spectrum of humanity.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color,…