Staff Hardware Architect
Serve Robotics
Location
Redwood City, CA
Employment Type
Full time
Location Type
On-site
Department
Hardware
Compensation
- $190K – $230K • Offers Equity
The salary range listed in this posting is representative of the range of levels being considered for this position. Total compensation will vary based on geographic location and level. Leveling, as well as positioning within a level, is determined by a range of factors, including, but not limited to, a candidate's relevant years of experience, domain knowledge, and interview performance.
At Serve Robotics, we’re reimagining how things move in cities. Our personable sidewalk robot is our vision for the future. It’s designed to take deliveries away from congested streets, make deliveries available to more people, and benefit local businesses.
The Serve fleet has been delighting merchants, customers, and pedestrians along the way in Los Angeles while doing commercial deliveries. We’re looking for talented individuals who will grow robotic deliveries from surprising novelty to efficient ubiquity.
Who We Are
We are tech industry veterans in software, hardware, and design who are pooling our skills to build the future we want to live in. We are solving real-world problems leveraging robotics, machine learning and computer vision, among other disciplines, with a mindful eye towards the end-to-end user experience. Our team is agile, diverse, and driven. We believe that the best way to solve complicated dynamic problems is collaboratively and respectfully.
About The Team
The dynamic and diverse Electrical Engineering team at Serve Robotics ensures product safety and effectiveness. Key to driving company success, they collaborate, innovate, and create efficient solutions for high-performance robotic applications.
Position Summary
We are seeking an experienced Staff Hardware Architect in the Electrical Engineering team to lead the design and system integration of electrical components in our sidewalk last-mile delivery robots. This role is critical to ensuring scalable, efficient, and robust electrical architectures across our robotic platforms, while aligning technical direction within the electrical engineering team and across cross-functional teams including autonomy, systems, mechanical, embedded software, and manufacturing.
You will play a key role in standardizing power systems, compute platforms, sensor integration, and communication interfaces to ensure seamless performance in real-world autonomous delivery environments.
Responsibilities
Own and define the electrical architecture of autonomous sidewalk delivery robots, including compute modules, sensors, motor control, battery management, and safety systems.
Develop and maintain architectural standards and design frameworks across robot platforms to ensure consistency, scalability, and manufacturability.
Collaborate closely with software, firmware, mechanical, autonomy, and manufacturing teams to align design choices, interface definitions, and system-level integration.
Lead architectural design reviews, provide technical direction to electrical engineering and ensure all electrical designs meet safety, performance, and reliability targets.
Evaluate and select components and technologies such as embedded compute platforms (e.g., NVIDIA Jetson), powertrain control systems, communication buses (CAN, Ethernet, etc.), and sensing technologies (LiDAR, cameras, ultrasonic, GPS).
Oversee schematic and PCB layout best practices, ensuring robust signal integrity, thermal management, and EMI/EMC compliance.
Drive decisions on electrical system modularity, harness design, and serviceability to support volume production and field support.
Support validation and testing efforts including power profiling, thermal testing, and functional safety assessments.
Track emerging technologies in robotics, mobility, and power systems to drive innovation in next-gen robot platforms.
Qualifications
Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field.
10+ years of experience in electrical system design, with 5+ years in architecture or lead roles.
Hands-on experience in robotics, autonomous systems, electric vehicles, or similar complex electromechanical systems.
Proven experience integrating and powering compute platforms such as NVIDIA Jetson (Orin/Xavier), ARM-based SBCs.
Expertise in low-voltage system integration, sensor interfacing and motor control.
Strong knowledge of PCB design, power electronics, harnessing, and EMI/EMC mitigation.
Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and coordinate cross-functional technical alignment.
Excellent communication skills and a collaborative mindset.
What makes you standout
Experience designing for mobile or outdoor environments (e.g., IP-rated systems, vibration, thermal management).
Familiarity with standards and compliance related to safety and mobility (ISO 26262, UL, CE, etc.).
Experience with autonomous perception stacks and sensor fusion requirements from an electrical perspective.
Prior experience in a startup or fast-paced product development environment.
Compensation Range: $190K - $230K