Electrical Engineer, Robotics

About the Team

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

We're looking for an experienced Electrical Engineer to help develop the next generation of robotic systems at OpenAI. This role spans the full lifecycle of hardware development, from early concept exploration and prototyping through circuit design, component selection, PCB layout, bring-up, integration, and deployment.

Engineers in this role are expected to independently drive significant hardware efforts from initial concept through deployment. You will translate ambiguous goals into concrete engineering plans, make key technical decisions, coordinate closely with cross-functional partners, and own execution through the iterations required to deliver a successful system.

Many of the systems we build are still being defined. You will work closely with mechanical, firmware, software, controls, and research teams to evaluate new ideas, develop novel hardware, and integrate it into robotic platforms. Success in this role requires strong engineering judgment, comfort operating in ambiguous spaces, and the ability to balance rapid experimentation with the discipline required to build reliable and scalable systems.

The ideal candidate enjoys building things from first principles and is equally comfortable evaluating a new technology, debugging a prototype on the bench, reviewing PCB layout details, and driving system integration efforts. You should be able to move quickly when appropriate, but also know when investing in robustness, simplicity, or infrastructure will create leverage for future development.

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

In this role, you will

Own significant portions of the electrical architecture for compact, highly integrated robotic and electromechanical systems, including sensing, communication, power distribution, and actuator interfaces.

Design and implement compact electronics spanning circuit design, component selection, PCB layout, bring-up, validation, and deployment.

Build and validate hardware in integrated robotic systems, driving issues from first observation through root cause and design resolution.

Partner closely with mechanical, firmware, software, controls, manufacturing, and research teams to deliver coherent system-level solutions.

Make thoughtful engineering tradeoffs across performance, size, power, reliability, manufacturability, and iteration speed.

You might thrive in this role if you

Have 6+ years of experience developing electrical systems for robotics, consumer electronics, medical devices, wearables, cameras, or other tightly integrated electromechanical products.

Have personally owned hardware from concept through PCB layout, bring-up, validation, and deployment.

Enjoy designing compact, high-density electronics that must fit within severe mechanical constraints.

Have experience with technologies such as BGAs, rigid-flex assemblies, fine-pitch interconnects, micro-coax, FPCs, dense connector systems, or similar packaging approaches.

Can reason across electrical, firmware, and mechanical boundaries when making design decisions.

Are comfortable taking ownership of loosely defined problems and turning them into working systems with limited direction.

Have partnered closely with cross-functional teams to translate product goals into practical hardware systems.

Enjoy building and validating integrated prototypes where mechanical, electrical, firmware, and sensing systems are developed together.

Enjoy collaborating closely with and supporting the growth of other engineers on the team.

Additional, preferred qualifications