PCB Designer (Schematic / Layout)

About Build AI

Build AI is the data hyperscaler for Physical AI. We're vertically integrated across hardware, manufacturing, logistics, collection, and model training to scale the physical labor dataset orders of magnitude faster than anyone in the world.

Job Summary

We're hiring a PCB designer in Shenzhen to own schematic and layout for the hardware we collect with. Collection devices have to be simple, manufacturable, and high-bandwidth: a camera people can wear while they do the real job, not a science project. A generalist who can also write firmware is strongly preferred.

Key Responsibilities

Own schematic capture and layout for collection hardware (hats, mounts, camera boards), from first spin through factory revisions

Design for the buses that are actually on the device: camera (MIPI or equivalent), storage, USB/wireless, power, I2C/SPI/UART — with impedance control and SI where it matters

Bring up boards, debug with firmware and mechanical, and close the loop into DFM for Shenzhen manufacturing (stack-ups, yield, parts we can actually get)

Create and maintain PCBA documentation: schematics, BOMs, assembly notes, and test plans for bring-up and factory

Work with firmware so boot, capture, storage, and upload are one system, not a board thrown over the wall

Push revisions fast as we scale sites and SKUs. Resist extra sensors and extra complexity that cuts how many devices we can field

You may be a good fit if you have (Must-have qualifications)

You have shipped real PCBs: schematic, layout, bring-up, and into manufacturing, not only a school board

Comfortable in Altium, KiCad, Cadence, or equivalent, and in a factory for a spin

You think in yield, cost, and whether the device still works on a worker's head after a week

Understanding of SI basics, power distribution, and DFM for the class of board we will actually build

Fine in Shenzhen, in factories, and in a team under 30 that is blitzscaling a dataset

Strong candidates may also have experience with (Nice-to-have qualifications)

Firmware experience (bring-up, drivers, simple capture/upload). We would rather hire a generalist than a schematic-only specialist

Camera interfacing, high-speed design, or flex/rigid-flex for wearables

SI/PI tools, or experience taking a board from prototype to volume in Shenzhen

Benefits

Competitive pay

Medical, dental, and vision packages with generous premium coverage

$500 per month credit for waiving medical benefits

Housing subsidy of $2k per month for those living within walking distance of the office

Relocation support for those moving to San Francisco (Financial District) or Shenzhen (Nanshan)

Various wellness benefits covering fitness, mental health, and more

Daily lunch and dinner in our office

Unlimited compute budget subject to ROI justification

Unlimited Codex and Claude credits

Travel

How we're different

Build believes in the Bitter Lesson . By taking a general approach of learning from humans, our addressable market is all physical labor.

We are a fully in-person team in San Francisco (Financial District) and Shenzhen (Nanshan), and greatly value engineering skills. We do not have boundaries between engineering and research, and we expect all of our technical staff to contribute to both and work across disciplines as needed.

Build AI is an equal opportunity employer. We review every application. If you do not meet every bullet, still apply. Questions: [email protected]