Staff Electrical Engineer

Snapshot

Artificial Intelligence could be one of humanity's most useful inventions. At Google DeepMind, we're a team of scientists, engineers, machine learning experts and more, working together to advance the state of the art in artificial intelligence. We use our technologies for widespread public benefit and scientific discovery, and collaborate with others on critical challenges, ensuring safety and ethics are the highest priority.

About Us

We are looking for a Staff Electrical Engineer to join the Robotics team whose mission is to build components for advanced robots capable of dexterous, general, and useful physical actions. You will contribute to developing the core hardware systems for our robots, aiming to enhance the lives of billions worldwide through advancements in the physical realm.

The Role

As Staff Electrical Engineer, you will engage in a variety of challenging projects, from inventing and prototyping high-density electronic systems in laboratory settings to validating them on mobile robots. This position offers the opportunity to collaborate with a diverse, multi-functional team dedicated to advancing the field of robotics through rapid hardware development and testing.

Key responsibilities:

• Rapid Electronics Design: Develop electrical systems that power and control advanced mobile robots, specifically focusing on the rapid development of prototype electronics relevant to small, high-density applications typical in robot end effectors.
• Motor Drive Development: Design and validate custom motor drive circuitry, applying fundamental knowledge of commutation and control theory to optimize the performance of high-density robotic actuators.
• Advanced PCB Architecture: Create detailed schematics and PCB layouts using Altium, ensuring the designs meet the performance, reliability, and manufacturability standards required for complex robotics hardware.
• Embedded Systems Firmware: Operate as a general-purpose engineer across analog and digital domains, writing firmware in C/C++ and HDL to program microcontrollers and FPGAs to ensure optimal performance of embedded designs.
• High-Speed Communication Implementation: Design and integrate high-speed data technologies such as Ethernet, PCIe, and EtherCAT into PCB-based devices, ensuring robust communication protocols are maintained across the system.
• Circuit Analysis Validation: Use strong circuit analysis fundamentals and lab equipment (oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers) to review electrical designs, conduct failure analysis, and troubleshoot complex electrical systems.
• Electromechanical Integration: Collaborate across teams to integrate electrical systems with robotics hardware, including the design and specification of connectors and wire harnesses to ensure seamless operation in dynamic environments.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a closely related field.
• 10+ years of experience in robotics or a similar field, with a specific focus on designing, building, and testing PCBAs for complex electromechanical systems.
• Expert proficiency with PCB design tools, specifically Altium, for schematic capture and layout.
• Proven track record of developing high-speed communication systems (e.g., Ethernet, PCIe) and power regulation systems for high-performance computing or robotics.
• Broad experience across analog and digital design, with the ability to develop firmware for embedded systems.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proficiency in Python, LabView, or MATLAB for automation and testing.
• Proficiency in Linux, including experience building kernels or writing device drivers.
• Experience with small team leadership or technical project management.
• Experience with Verilog or VHDL for advanced hardware design and simulation.
• Experience with wire harness design for high-vibration environments.
• Experience with high-density interconnects, flex, and rigid-flex board designs.
• Familiarity with SolidWorks or comparable mechanical CAD tools.

The US base salary range for this full-time position is between $183,000 - $271,000 + bonus + equity + benefits. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your targeted location during the hiring process.

At Google DeepMind, we value diversity of experience, knowledge, backgrounds and perspectives and harness these qualities to create extraordinary impact. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of sex, race, religion or belief, ethnic or national origin, disability, age, citizenship, marital, domestic or civil partnership status, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, or related condition (including breastfeeding) or any other basis as protected by applicable law. If you have a disability or additional need that requires accommodation, please do not hesitate to let us know.