Principal Motor Engineer
Matician
Location
Mountain View, CA
Employment Type
Full time
Department
Hardware
Company Overview
Each year, 2.5 trillion hours are spent on household chores. At Matic, we’re on a mission to recapture that lost time, and we’re doing it by revolutionizing home robotics.
Our first product, also called Matic, is a Wall-E-esque floor cleaning robot. We've built what amounts to "full self-driving in the home” with real-time 3D mapping, adaptive path-tracking, and a precise semantic understanding of the home. Our breakthroughs in spatial AI allow Matic to work reliably in real homes, using only RGB cameras and neural networks running on-device.
Privacy First
What happens in the home, stays in the home. Our robots are private by design, with all data processing performed by the robot itself, not in the cloud.
Our Approach
Before the iPhone, consumers adopted several distinct devices; cell phones, PDAs, and portable music players each served a particular need. We believe in a similar progression for home robotics, starting with single-purpose robots and building iteratively toward more complex capabilities over time.
Our Culture
Matic is a tight-knit and collaborative team, singularly focused on building products our customers will cherish. We're ultra-hardworking people committed to solving tough problems that save precious time and energy.
About the role
As a Motor Design Expert, you'll architect the actuators of our robotic systems - the motors that power every movement and action. You'll work at the intersection of electromagnetics, acoustics, and controls to create motors that are whisper-quiet, incredibly efficient, and manufacturable at scale.
If you're passionate about pushing the boundaries of motor technology and obsessed with achieving the impossible combination of performance, silence, and cost, we'd love to talk to you about how you can help us revolutionize home robotics.
What you'll do
Own end-to-end motor architecture from electromagnetic design through production validation for all motorized subsystems
Design custom motor solutions optimizing for acoustic performance (<60dBA), efficiency (>85%), form factor, cost (<$15/unit), and scalability to 100k+ units/year
Perform electromagnetic FEA simulations for motor optimization including flux density, cogging torque, and back-EMF analysis
Select and validate motor control algorithms, drive electronics, and feedback systems for precise motion control
Develop motor specification requirements balancing torque density, thermal management, and acoustic emissions
Design accelerated life testing protocols specific to motor failure modes including bearing wear, insulation breakdown, and demagnetization
Collaborate with suppliers on custom rotor/stator designs, winding patterns, and manufacturing processes
Drive cost reduction initiatives through design optimization, material selection, and manufacturing process improvements
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Work cross-functionally with NVH, controls, and thermal teams to achieve system-level
optimization
What we look for
Technical degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Physics with focus on electromagnetics
5+ years of experience designing motors for high-volume consumer products or automotive applications
Deep understanding of motor physics including electromagnetics, thermal dynamics, and rotordynamics
Proven track record of shipping custom BLDC, PMSM, or reluctance motor designs in products
Experience with motor simulation tools such as ANSYS Maxwell, JMAG, or Motor-CAD
Expertise in motor control theory including FOC, sensorless control, and active vibration damping
Understanding of acoustic principles related to motor design including slot/pole combinations and skewing techniques
Experience with bearing systems, lubrication, and tribology for long-life applications
Familiarity with motor manufacturing processes including winding, magnetization, and balancing
Knowledge of safety standards and certifications (UL, CE) for motor-driven appliances
Comfort with fast-paced, startup atmosphere -- you don't shy away from the hard work
High level of maturity, ownership, and pride in your work
We'd love to hear from you if...
You are genuinely motivated to help those around you
You are passionate about learning outside of your normal comfort zones
You love diagnosing complex technical issues
You are excited to do great work