Staff Electrical Engineer (Sensors & Imaging Systems)

Rhoda AI

  • Mountain View, California
  • 30+ days ago
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    Skills

    • Acousticsunmatched
    • Antennaunmatched
    • Applied Physicsunmatched
    • Architectural Servicesunmatched
    • Artificial Intelligence (AI)unmatched
    • Audio Hardwareunmatched
    • Audio Transducerunmatched
    • Best Practicesunmatched
    • Bill of Materials (BOM)unmatched
    • CMOSunmatched
    • Calibrationunmatched
    • Computer Engineeringunmatched
    • Computer Firmwareunmatched
    • Computer Visionunmatched
    • Cross-Functionalunmatched
    • Debugging Skillsunmatched
    • Electrical Designunmatched
    • Electrical Engineeringunmatched
    • Electricityunmatched
    • Electromagnetic Compatibilityunmatched
    • Electromagnetic Interference (EMI)unmatched
    • Embedded Systemsunmatched
    • GPU (Graphics Processing Unit)unmatched
    • Graphic Designunmatched
    • Hardware Designunmatched
    • Hardware Developmentunmatched
    • IR (Infrared)unmatched
    • Image Processingunmatched
    • Internet Service Providersunmatched
    • Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)\Laser Detection and Ranging (LADAR)unmatched
    • Logic Analyzerunmatched
    • Manufacturingunmatched
    • Manufacturing Engineeringunmatched
    • Mass Productionunmatched
    • Mentoringunmatched
    • Negotiation Skillsunmatched
    • Optical Engineeringunmatched
    • Opticsunmatched
    • Original Design Manufacturer (ODM)unmatched
    • Oscilloscopeunmatched
    • PHYunmatched
    • Patentsunmatched
    • Power Amplifierunmatched
    • Presentation/Verbal Skillsunmatched
    • Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Layoutunmatched
    • Problem Solving Skillsunmatched
    • Product Shipmentsunmatched
    • Production Systemsunmatched
    • Production Volumeunmatched
    • Prototypingunmatched
    • RGB Color Modelunmatched
    • Roboticsunmatched
    • Schematic Captureunmatched
    • Schematicsunmatched
    • Shadingunmatched
    • Signal Integrityunmatched
    • Signal Processingunmatched
    • Signal-to-noise Ratio (SNR)unmatched
    • Spectrum Analyzersunmatched
    • System Integration (SI)unmatched
    • System-on-a-Chip (SoC)unmatched
    • Technical Deliveryunmatched
    • Technical/Engineering Designunmatched
    • Test Equipmentunmatched
    • Thermal Analysisunmatched
    • Truck Driverunmatched
    • Use Casesunmatched
    • User Interface Designunmatched
    • Validation Planunmatched
    • Writing Skillsunmatched

    Description

    At Rhoda AI, we’re building the next generation of generalist intelligent robots. We own the full robotics stack from high-performance hardware and robot systems to the infrastructure and state-of-the-art foundation world models that control our robots. Our robots are designed to be generalists capable of operating in complex, real-world environments and handling long-tail edge cases, made possible by our cutting edge research and end-to-end system design. We've raised over $450M and are investing aggressively in model research, infrastructure, hardware development, and manufacturing scale-up to make generalist robotics a reality.

    We are seeking a Staff or Principal Member of Technical Staff (MTS) – Electrical to lead the architecture, design, and technical execution of advanced multi-sensor imaging and perception systems. This is a senior individual-contributor role for an electrical engineer with deep, hands-on expertise across camera and imaging pipelines, depth and ranging sensors (ToF, Radar, LiDAR), thermal imaging, and the surrounding electrical and signal-integrity considerations that make these systems work in production.

    The successful candidate will set the technical direction for sensor selection, integration, and validation; partner closely with optics, mechanical, firmware, ML, and systems teams; and serve as a recognized technical authority across the organization. This role is ideal for an engineer who has taken multiple sensor-driven products from concept to volume production and is energized by solving hard, cross-disciplinary problems.

    Key Responsibilities

    • Architect end-to-end imaging and sensing subsystems, including camera selection, optics interface, illumination, and electrical integration, to meet product-level performance, power, and cost targets.

    • Drive camera and sensor selection across CMOS image sensors, ToF, mmWave radar, LiDAR, and thermal modules — evaluating resolution, FOV, sensitivity, dynamic range, frame rate, latency, and SWaP (size, weight, and power).

    • Own the camera signal chain, including ISP tuning and configuration, RAW/RGB pipelines, MIPI CSI-2 / parallel RGB interfaces, and characterization across lighting, temperature, and motion conditions.

    • Lead sensor fusion hardware design combining cameras, depth sensors, radar, and LiDAR for perception and object-detection workloads.

    • Define lighting and illumination strategies for active and passive imaging, including IR illuminators, structured light, and synchronized strobe designs.

    • Specify and review schematics, layouts, and BOMs for sensor boards, flex cables, connectors, and power-delivery networks; ensure signal-integrity and EMI/EMC compliance for high-speed interfaces.

    • Develop characterization and validation plans with lab measurements (oscilloscope, spectrum analyzer, optical bench) and statistical bring-up/qualification methodologies.

    • Collaborate cross-functionally with firmware/embedded, computer-vision/ML, mechanical, optical, and manufacturing engineering to drive designs from prototype through DVT, PVT, and mass production.

    • Mentor and influence engineers across the org; review designs, set best practices, and represent electrical engineering in architectural decisions.

    • Engage with external vendors and partners (sensor suppliers, module houses, ODMs) to evaluate roadmaps, negotiate specs, and resolve technical issues.

    Required Qualifications

    Education & Experience

    • B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Applied Physics, or a related field.

    • Staff level: 10+ years of relevant industry experience designing electrical/sensor subsystems for shipping products.

    • Principal level: 15+ years with a demonstrated track record of leading the technical direction of multiple high-volume sensor-based products.

    Cameras & Imaging

    • Deep, hands-on knowledge of CMOS image sensors and end-to-end camera systems, including the trade-offs that drive camera selection (resolution, pixel size, QE, SNR, HDR, rolling vs. global shutter).

    • Strong understanding of optics fundamentals — Field of View (FOV), focal length, F-number, depth of field, distortion, and lens/sensor matching.

    • Image Signal Processing (ISP): demosaic, AE/AWB/AF, denoise, tone-mapping, color correction, lens shading, and ISP tuning for target use cases.

    • Camera interfaces: MIPI CSI-2 / D-PHY / C-PHY, parallel RGB, and RAW pipelines — including timing, lane allocation, signal integrity, and bring-up.

    • Experience designing illumination / lighting subsystems for cameras (visible, IR, NIR, synchronized strobes).

    Depth, Ranging & Perception Sensors

    • Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensors: iToF and dToF principles, modulation schemes, multipath and ambient-light mitigation, depth accuracy characterization.

    • mmWave radar for object detection: FMCW radar fundamentals, antenna arrays, range/Doppler/angle estimation, and integration of radar modules at the board and system level.

    • Thermal cameras: microbolometer-based LWIR sensors, NUC, thermal calibration, and integration trade-offs.

    • LiDAR: working knowledge of mechanical, MEMS, and solid-state LiDAR architectures and their electrical/interface requirements.

    Core Electrical Engineering

    • Strong fundamentals in analog and digital design, schematic capture, PCB layout review, power delivery, and signal integrity for high-speed interfaces.

    • Hands-on lab debug skills: oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, spectrum analyzers, optical/imaging test equipment.

    • Experience taking products through EVT DVT PVT MP and resolving production issues.

    • Excellent written and verbal communication; able to drive alignment across hardware, firmware, ML, and product stakeholders.

    Preferred Qualifications (Nice-to-Have)

    • NVIDIA platform experience — Jetson (Orin, Xavier), DRIVE, or other NVIDIA SoC/GPU platforms used for camera and perception workloads.

    • Other high-end GPU / accelerator exposure — Qualcomm, Ambarella, AMD, or comparable platforms for vision and AI inference at the edge.

    • FPGA exposure — familiarity with FPGA-based sensor interfacing, bridging, and prototyping (Xilinx/AMD, Intel/Altera, Lattice). Embedded HDL coding is not required; an architectural and integration-level understanding is sufficient.

    • Acoustic & audio hardware — experience with MEMS microphones, microphone arrays, 3D acoustic field capture / beamforming, and audio front-end design.

    • Speaker driver / amplifier design — Class-D amplifiers, transducer selection, and audio output subsystem integration.

    • Experience with sensor fusion software stacks, ROS, or working closely with computer-vision / ML teams.

    • Published work, patents, or conference contributions in imaging, sensing, or perception.

    What Success Looks Like

    • Within 6 months: become the go-to technical authority for sensor and imaging subsystems; deliver a clear technical roadmap for the imaging stack.

    • Within 12 months: lead the electrical architecture of at least one major sensor-driven product or platform release.

    • Ongoing: raise the engineering bar through design reviews, mentorship, and reusable architectures that scale across product lines.

    Numbers & Facts

    LocationMountain View, California
    Websitehttp://rhoda.ai

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