Validation Engineer – Hand Subsystem

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 based in San Jose, CA and require 5 days/week in-office collaboration.

We are seeking a Validation Engineer to lead the test development, validation, and performance characterization of Figure’s dexterous robotic hands. This role focuses on validating the entire hand subsystem, including electrical, firmware, mechanical, and actuation systems, from first article prototype through full robot integration, driving performance, durability, and reliability standards.

You will design and execute validation workflows that stress the full range of motion, sensing, and control response across all joints. Success in this role requires deep technical understanding of mechatronic systems, strong cross disciplinary collaboration, and hands on experience building and testing high performance electromechanical assemblies.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute validation plans and automated test setups for hand subsystems, covering actuators, PCB/firmware, sensors, harnessing, and mechanics

• Characterize torque, position, current, and thermal behavior across all degrees of freedom

• Lead root-cause analysis and drive design or process updates for reliability issues

• Build Python-based data logging and visualization tools to analyze performance and detect anomalies

• Collaborate with integration, design, and controls teams to align validation coverage with system and robot-level requirements

Requirements:

• 5+ years of hands-on validation experience with robotic, mechatronic, or actuation systems

• Strong understanding of mechanics, kinematics, and actuator control principles

• Proficiency in Python for automation, data acquisition, and analysis

• Skilled with lab instrumentation (oscilloscopes, power analyzers, DAQs, thermal sensors)

• Proven ability to debug hardware, firmware, and control-loop issues

• Strong understanding of statistical analysis (Cp/Cpk, DOE, variance studies) for component and system-level characterization

• Bachelor’s or Master’s in Mechanical, Electrical, Controls, or Mechatronics Engineering

Bonus Qualifications:

• Validation of robotic hands, grippers, or multi-DOF actuation systems

• Familiarity with CAN, SPI, I2C, and Ethernet communication protocols

• Experience with control-system tuning and system identification

• Knowledge of CAD for fixture design and mechanical interface review

• Comfort working in Linux and embedded development environments

• Experience automating validation workflows or hardware-in-the-loop setups

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.