Who we are:
We are a start-up based out of Bengaluru & Delhi NCR. We are engaged in development of next generation missions and technologies (NGM&T) towards future warfare needs of the Indian defence forces. It is undertaking research towards enhancing persistence and autonomy for unmanned vehicles and robotic swarms. NRT’s product development portfolio includes a solar power stratospheric high altitude pseudo satellite (HAPS) unmanned platform and an air/ground launched stand-off autonomous system.
Role Summary:
We’re hiring a Senior Hardware Engineer to help build and ship production-grade embedded and electrical systems for real robotic platforms operating in real environments. This role is hands-on, high-ownership, and tightly integrated with perception, autonomy, mechanical, and field operations. Prior experience with robotics / unmanned systems hardware integration is required.
What You’ll Do:
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Build and ship embedded hardware systems deployed on physical robotic platforms.
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Own hardware bring-up and integration across sensors and compute: cameras, camera gimbals, LiDAR, RTK GNSS, IMU, and other payload sensors.
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Read, understand, and work with vendor SDKs and reference implementations for sensors (cameras, gimbals, GNSS, IMU, LiDAR) to enable required features and configurations.
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Review embedded and system-level codebases related to hardware bring-up and sensor integration; assess implementation quality, correctness, and performance in collaboration with software teams.
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Integrate embedded compute stacks (e.g., NVIDIA Jetson boards, compute modules) for on-robot perception and autonomy workloads.
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Integrate and debug high-speed sensor interfaces and data paths (Ethernet, USB, MIPI/CSI where applicable, serial, CAN, time-sync signals).
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Build reliable networking and communication setups across on-robot devices (multi-compute, sensor networks, routing, bandwidth/latency tradeoffs).
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Drive system-level debugging when things fail: intermittent sensors, dropped packets, timing drift, thermal throttling, power brownouts, connector issues
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Set up, configure, and debug HITL (Hardware-in-the-Loop) rigs to validate sensors, compute, power, and interfaces before field deployment.
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Partner with software and field teams to deploy quickly and iterate based on real-world results.
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Improve hardware reliability, observability, and maintainability: test points, health monitoring, logs/telemetry hooks, harness documentation, and field replaceability.
Must-Have Qualifications:
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4–6 years experience building real-world hardware/embedded systems, with meaningful time spent on robotics, unmanned systems, or adjacent high-reliability products.
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Basic programming skills in Python or C++
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Working knowledge of integrating and debugging cameras and camera gimbals in real systems
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Experience working with industrial / defense-grade cameras and stabilized gimbal systems in field-deployed platforms
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Strong understanding of internal gimbal architecture (motors, encoders, IMUs, control loops, mechanical constraints)
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Hands-on experience tuning and validating gimbal control loops (PID tuning, stability vs responsiveness tradeoffs, vibration handling).
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Working knowledge of Camera-Gimbal, RTK GNSS, IMU sensors, and LiDAR integration (including timing, synchronization, and calibration dependencies).
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Strong fundamentals in electrical/electronic systems (power, signal integrity basics, grounding, connectors, harnessing, protection).
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Experience integrating embedded compute platforms (e.g., NVIDIA Jetson) and peripheral sensors into a deployable system.
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Working knowledge of networking and communication in robotics systems (Ethernet basics, bandwidth/latency constraints, diagnosing packet loss / link issues).
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Comfortable doing system-level debugging with imperfect hardware, noisy sensors, and messy field conditions
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Working experience with HITL setup, configuration, and debugging for embedded/robotic systems.
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Comfortable making pragmatic engineering tradeoffs to meet performance, reliability, and deployment goals.
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Able to work on-site.
Strongly Preferred:
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Experience with embedded Linux bring-up and deployment workflows on Jetson/compute modules.
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Experience building and using HITL setups for validation, regression testing, and fault isolation.
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Familiarity with time synchronization approaches used in robotics systems (clock discipline, PPS, timestamping, sensor sync considerations).
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Experience with battery systems integration and safety practices (BMS interfaces, derating, thermal constraints, power budgeting).
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Experience with ruggedization for field environments (mechanical integration constraints, vibration, connector selection, cable management).
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Field deployment experience: diagnosing issues from logs, telemetry, and on-platform behavior under operational constraints.
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Startup / rapid iteration background.
What Success Looks Like:
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Reliable sensor + compute + power integration that performs across varied field conditions (not just bench setups).
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Hardware systems that are debuggable and maintainable (clear documentation, test points, repeatable bring-up, strong fault isolation).
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Fast iteration loop from field feedback to shipped improvements, with fewer repeat failures over time.
Interview Focus Areas:
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Embedded systems engineering and system design for robotics hardware
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HITL setup, configuration, and debugging: what you validated, how you instrumented, and how you found failures.
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Practical gimbal system knowledge: control tuning, failure modes, and integration tradeoffs in real platforms.
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Electrical/electronic fundamentals: power, interfaces, grounding, reliability-minded design decisions
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Sensor integration depth: cameras/gimbals, RTK, IMU, LiDAR, timing/synchronization implications
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Networking and communication for real deployments (Ethernet, bandwidth/latency tradeoffs, debugging packet loss)
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Real-world deployment stories: failures, fixes, and what you learned
