Prototype Engineer

Who We Are

Physical Intelligence is bringing general-purpose AI into the physical world. We are a group of engineers, scientists, roboticists, and company builders developing foundation models and learning algorithms to power the robots of today and the physically-actuated devices of the future.

We're looking for a Prototype Engineer, an engineering generalist who sits at the intersection of enabling research and deloying into real-world applications. You'll work closely with our research and engineering teams to rapidly design, build, and iterate on concept mechanical, electrical, and sensor prototypes that push the boundaries of what our robots can do.

This role is uniquely positioned between R&D and hardware engineering. You'll translate research ideas into physical systems, build end-to-end prototypes from scratch, and ensure our hardware performs reliably when interacting with real-world objects. You're the person both the hardware team and researchers come to when they need something built and rapidly iterated on. When successful, you'll be responsible for turning these into scalable solutions that support multiple hardware platforms in our fleet.

In this role you will

• Rapidly design and fabricate mechanical, electrical, and sensor prototypes to support research experiments and engineering development.
• Partner directly with researchers to understand experimental requirements and translate them into buildable hardware systems.
• Build end-to-end prototype systems: from concept sketches through CAD, fabrication, wiring, sensor integration, and validation.
• Develop quick-turn PCBs, wiring harnesses, and cable assemblies for prototype electronics.
• Evaluate and select sensors, actuators, and off-the-shelf components for integration into prototype systems.
• Design and iterate on fixtures, jigs, test rigs, and custom tooling to enable research workflows.
• Perform hands-on assembly, troubleshooting, and debugging of electromechanical and robotic systems.
• Collaborate with electrical and robot software engineers to integrate hardware with control systems, firmware, and runtime software.
• Identify and address failure modes specific to hardware operating in unstructured, real-world environments (contact forces, wear, thermal effects, cable management, etc.).
• Document designs, test results, and build procedures to support knowledge transfer and design iteration.

What we hope you'll bring

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical or Mechatronics Engineering, or a related field.
• 2-5 years of experience in prototyping, R&D engineering, or hardware development, ideally preferably in robotics, automotive, consumer electronics, or research lab environments.
• Proficiency in CAD software (Onshape, SolidWorks, or Fusion 360) with strong 3D modeling and drafting skills.
• Working knowledge of PCB design, electronics and comfortable soldering, wiring, reading schematics, and integrating sensors (force/torque, IMUs, cameras, encoders, etc.).
• Hands-on expertise with rapid prototyping methods: 3D printing (FDM/SLA), laser cutting, CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, and manual machining.
• Familiarity with the robotics domain, with an understanding of kinematics, actuation, compliant mechanisms, and the challenges of hardware interacting with unstructured real-world environments.
• Ability to build full first-pass systems end-to-end, from mechanical structure through electrical integration to basic software scripting.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to speak the language of both researchers and engineers. Translating abstract research needs or engineering requests into tangible concepts.
• Comfort working in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment where requirements evolve quickly and scrappiness is valued.
• Experience with basic scripting (Python) for test automation, data collection, or hardware interfacing is a plus.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.