Systems Integration Engineer - Actuation Systems

About the role

Figure is an AI robotics company developing autonomous general-purpose humanoid robots. The goal of the company is to ship humanoid robots with human level intelligence. Its robots are engineered to perform a variety of tasks in the home and commercial markets. Figure is headquartered in San Jose, CA.

We are seeking a Systems Integration Engineer focused on actuators to join the Actuation team. This role works closely with mechanical, electrical, controls, and software teams across design and manufacturing to deliver robust, high-performance actuation systems for the humanoid robot.

Responsibilities:

• Collaborate on the system-level deployment of actuators within the humanoid robot, including interfaces, behavior, and performance at the robot level.

• Collaborate on calibration strategies and end-of-line bring-up. Define and execute design-validation and production-scale test plans for actuation subsystems, document results, and ensure quality and reliability targets are met.

• Incorporate sensing and feedback systems, including position and torque, into real-time control architectures.

• Develop real-time diagnostic algorithms to enable fall-back strategies.

• Debug and analyze performance. Perform hands‑on debugging of mechanical, electrical and software integration issues; use diagnostic tools to identify root causes and drive corrective actions

• Tune controllers and characterize performance. Collaborate with controls engineers to synthesize and tune high‑bandwidth controllers; conduct system identification and data analysis to characterize actuation performance

• Design Validation Test Plans: Specify test plans for validation.

• Bring up prototypes and first articles.

• Develop automation and tooling. Build scripts, dashboards and automated test rigs to streamline repetitive testing, data collection and diagnostics

Requirements:

• 5+ years of hands‑on experience working on robotic or electromechanical systems with a focus on actuation, manipulation or integration; 

• Proficiency in Matlab and Python for testing infrastructure, data analysis and control engineering.

• Proven experience integrating sensors, and control tuning of motion systems 

• Strong understanding of mechanics, kinematics, controls, dynamics and sensor technologies

• Familiarity with Linux‑based development environments and capability to read C++.

• Proficiency with lab equipment for validation, instrumentation, and system-level debugging.

• Resilient and effective in fast-paced, challenging environments.

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical/Controls Engineering, Robotics or a related field

Bonus Qualifications:

• Prior work on high performance electro-actuation systems in multi DOF systems, deployed at large scale.

• Proficiency in C++

• Working knowledge of communication buses and protocols like Ethernet, Ethercat, Serial, SPI and I2C.

• Numerical and first-principles modeling capabilities for actuators.

• Expertise in CAD to collaborate with design teams.

The US base salary range for this full-time position is between $150,000 and $250,000 annually.

The pay offered for this position may vary based on several individual factors, including job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package may also include additional components/benefits depending on the specific role. This information will be shared if an employment offer is extended.