Physical AI Sr. Engineer/Architect (Santa Clara)
GlobalLogic, Santa Clara, CA, United States
The Vision
Generative AI is stepping out of the browser and into the physical world. At GlobalLogic/Hitachi, we are building Physical AI - bridging digital agentic intelligence with real-world mechanical and industrial systems. To prove this to our clients in the manufacturing, energy, and mobility sectors, we don't just build slide decks. We build functioning physical prototypes that serve as the foundation for actual agentic AI solutions, targeting massive operational impact across Hitachi’s global industrial footprint and our Fortune 500 customers. We are not building lab experiments; we are building the future of physical operations.
The Role
You are our resident hardware hacker and physical AI tinkerer. This is a deeply hands-on role where execution velocity is your primary metric for success. While we love great communicators and collaborative team players, your day-to-day will not be spent writing whitepapers or leading steering committees. You will be given digital AI models and told:
Make the hardware do this,
or
Wire this AI output to trigger that industrial PLC.
Your job is to build the physical prototypes and participate in the early-stage engineering of agentic AI solutions that will graduate from your workbench to drive massive, real-world scale for Hitachi and our global clients.
What You Will Do (The Core Focus)
Autonomous Systems & Manipulation:
Program and hack hardware to execute physical tasks directed by our AI agents. Whether it is commanding robotic arms, integrating autonomous systems, or 3D-printing and wiring custom actuators, you will make the digital physical.
Solution Prototyping & Demo Engineering:
Build physical, tabletop (or larger) setups simulating energy grids, manufacturing lines, or supply chain sorting. You will wire the sensors, mount the actuators, and make the system go live to validate early-stage customer solutions before they scale.
PLC & OT Integration:
Bridge the gap between modern AI Python scripts and standard industrial automation. You will program and tinker with standard PLCs (e.g. Mitsubishi FX, Allen Bradley, Siemens) to simulate real-world industrial environments.
General Electronics Tinkering:
Solder, wire, and cobble together microcontrollers, general-purpose electronics, and custom circuits to get the prototype working by any means necessary.
High-Velocity Execution:
Iterate at breakneck speed. If a component breaks, you bypass it. If a standard driver doesn't work, you write a script to force it. Getting to a working prototype quickly is the ultimate goal.
What We Are Looking For
Note: Show, don't just tell. We prioritize your portfolio over a perfectly polished resume. When you apply, please include videos, links, or GitHub repos of physical, autonomous, or hardware projects you have built.
The Hardware Hacker:
Deep comfort with general-purpose electronics, breadboarding, microcontrollers (Arduino, Raspberry Pi, ESP32), and integrating weird sensors with software.
Industrial Tinkerer:
Hands-on experience programming and troubleshooting PLCs (Mitsubishi, Allen Bradley, Siemens) and understanding basic industrial protocols.
Robotics & Autonomy Savvy:
You do
not
need prior experience specifically commanding robotic arms, though it is a major plus. We are looking for broad experience with things that move autonomously - whether that is rovers, drones, custom kinematics, or ROS (Robot Operating System) environments.
The Glue Coder and AI Tools:
You can quickly write Python, C++, or whatever script is necessary to connect an API endpoint to a physical servo or PLC register. Our CTO AI office is a strictly AI-first environment; you will be provided with a Gemini Ultra subscription and expected to heavily leverage frontier models to accelerate your code generation, troubleshoot weird hardware protocols, and maximize your execution speed.
You can quickly write Python, C++, or whatever script is necessary to connect an API endpoint to a physical servo or PLC register.
Ruthless Bias for Action:
You thrive in an unstructured, high-velocity environment where the goal is a working prototype by Friday, not a perfect architecture diagram.
Why Join Us?
This is the ultimate sandbox with massive real-world stakes. You will have access to cutting-edge AI models, robotic arms, and industrial hardware, with a mandate to build physical solutions that will ultimately scale to transform global industries.
What We Offer:
Exciting Projects: Come take your place at the forefront of digital transformation! With clients across all industries and sectors, we offer an opportunity to work on market-defining products using the latest technologies.
Collaborative Environment:
You can expand your skills by collaborating with a diverse team of highly talented people in an open, laidback environment — or even abroad in one of our global centers or client facilities!
Work-Life Balance: GlobalLogic prioritizes work-life balance, which is why we offer flexible work schedules and opportunities to work from home.
Professional Development: We provide continuing education classes, professional certification and training (technical, soft skills, language, and communication skills) to help you realize your professional goals. Being part of a global organization, there are additional learning opportunities through international knowledge exchanges.
Excellent Benefits: We provide our employees with competitive salaries, health and life insurance, short-term and long-term disability insurance, a matched contribution 401K plan, flexible spending accounts, and PTO and holidays.
GlobalLogic estimates the starting pay range for this role to be performed in Santa Clara CA is 150K to 220K, and reflects base salary only. This pay range is provided as a good faith estimate and the amount offered may be higher or lower. GlobalLogic takes many factors into consideration in making an offer, including candidate qualifications, work experience, operational needs, travel and onsite requirements, internal peer equity, prevailing wage, responsibilities, and other market and business considerations.
About GlobalLogic
GlobalLogic is a leader in digital engineering. We help brands across the globe design and build innovative products, platforms, and digital experiences for the modern world. By integrating experience design, complex engineering, and data expertise—we help our clients imagine what’s possible, and accelerate their transition into tomorrow’s digital businesses. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, GlobalLogic operates design studios and engineering centers around the world, extending our deep expertise to customers in the automotive, communications, financial services, healthcare and life sciences, manufacturing, media and entertainment, semiconductor, and technology industries. GlobalLogic is a Hitachi Group Company operating under Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501) which contributes to a sustainable society with a higher quality of life by driving innovation through data and technology as the Social Innovation Business.
Generative AI is stepping out of the browser and into the physical world. At GlobalLogic/Hitachi, we are building Physical AI - bridging digital agentic intelligence with real-world mechanical and industrial systems. To prove this to our clients in the manufacturing, energy, and mobility sectors, we don't just build slide decks. We build functioning physical prototypes that serve as the foundation for actual agentic AI solutions, targeting massive operational impact across Hitachi’s global industrial footprint and our Fortune 500 customers. We are not building lab experiments; we are building the future of physical operations.
The Role
You are our resident hardware hacker and physical AI tinkerer. This is a deeply hands-on role where execution velocity is your primary metric for success. While we love great communicators and collaborative team players, your day-to-day will not be spent writing whitepapers or leading steering committees. You will be given digital AI models and told:
Make the hardware do this,
or
Wire this AI output to trigger that industrial PLC.
Your job is to build the physical prototypes and participate in the early-stage engineering of agentic AI solutions that will graduate from your workbench to drive massive, real-world scale for Hitachi and our global clients.
What You Will Do (The Core Focus)
Autonomous Systems & Manipulation:
Program and hack hardware to execute physical tasks directed by our AI agents. Whether it is commanding robotic arms, integrating autonomous systems, or 3D-printing and wiring custom actuators, you will make the digital physical.
Solution Prototyping & Demo Engineering:
Build physical, tabletop (or larger) setups simulating energy grids, manufacturing lines, or supply chain sorting. You will wire the sensors, mount the actuators, and make the system go live to validate early-stage customer solutions before they scale.
PLC & OT Integration:
Bridge the gap between modern AI Python scripts and standard industrial automation. You will program and tinker with standard PLCs (e.g. Mitsubishi FX, Allen Bradley, Siemens) to simulate real-world industrial environments.
General Electronics Tinkering:
Solder, wire, and cobble together microcontrollers, general-purpose electronics, and custom circuits to get the prototype working by any means necessary.
High-Velocity Execution:
Iterate at breakneck speed. If a component breaks, you bypass it. If a standard driver doesn't work, you write a script to force it. Getting to a working prototype quickly is the ultimate goal.
What We Are Looking For
Note: Show, don't just tell. We prioritize your portfolio over a perfectly polished resume. When you apply, please include videos, links, or GitHub repos of physical, autonomous, or hardware projects you have built.
The Hardware Hacker:
Deep comfort with general-purpose electronics, breadboarding, microcontrollers (Arduino, Raspberry Pi, ESP32), and integrating weird sensors with software.
Industrial Tinkerer:
Hands-on experience programming and troubleshooting PLCs (Mitsubishi, Allen Bradley, Siemens) and understanding basic industrial protocols.
Robotics & Autonomy Savvy:
You do
not
need prior experience specifically commanding robotic arms, though it is a major plus. We are looking for broad experience with things that move autonomously - whether that is rovers, drones, custom kinematics, or ROS (Robot Operating System) environments.
The Glue Coder and AI Tools:
You can quickly write Python, C++, or whatever script is necessary to connect an API endpoint to a physical servo or PLC register. Our CTO AI office is a strictly AI-first environment; you will be provided with a Gemini Ultra subscription and expected to heavily leverage frontier models to accelerate your code generation, troubleshoot weird hardware protocols, and maximize your execution speed.
You can quickly write Python, C++, or whatever script is necessary to connect an API endpoint to a physical servo or PLC register.
Ruthless Bias for Action:
You thrive in an unstructured, high-velocity environment where the goal is a working prototype by Friday, not a perfect architecture diagram.
Why Join Us?
This is the ultimate sandbox with massive real-world stakes. You will have access to cutting-edge AI models, robotic arms, and industrial hardware, with a mandate to build physical solutions that will ultimately scale to transform global industries.
What We Offer:
Exciting Projects: Come take your place at the forefront of digital transformation! With clients across all industries and sectors, we offer an opportunity to work on market-defining products using the latest technologies.
Collaborative Environment:
You can expand your skills by collaborating with a diverse team of highly talented people in an open, laidback environment — or even abroad in one of our global centers or client facilities!
Work-Life Balance: GlobalLogic prioritizes work-life balance, which is why we offer flexible work schedules and opportunities to work from home.
Professional Development: We provide continuing education classes, professional certification and training (technical, soft skills, language, and communication skills) to help you realize your professional goals. Being part of a global organization, there are additional learning opportunities through international knowledge exchanges.
Excellent Benefits: We provide our employees with competitive salaries, health and life insurance, short-term and long-term disability insurance, a matched contribution 401K plan, flexible spending accounts, and PTO and holidays.
GlobalLogic estimates the starting pay range for this role to be performed in Santa Clara CA is 150K to 220K, and reflects base salary only. This pay range is provided as a good faith estimate and the amount offered may be higher or lower. GlobalLogic takes many factors into consideration in making an offer, including candidate qualifications, work experience, operational needs, travel and onsite requirements, internal peer equity, prevailing wage, responsibilities, and other market and business considerations.
About GlobalLogic
GlobalLogic is a leader in digital engineering. We help brands across the globe design and build innovative products, platforms, and digital experiences for the modern world. By integrating experience design, complex engineering, and data expertise—we help our clients imagine what’s possible, and accelerate their transition into tomorrow’s digital businesses. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, GlobalLogic operates design studios and engineering centers around the world, extending our deep expertise to customers in the automotive, communications, financial services, healthcare and life sciences, manufacturing, media and entertainment, semiconductor, and technology industries. GlobalLogic is a Hitachi Group Company operating under Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501) which contributes to a sustainable society with a higher quality of life by driving innovation through data and technology as the Social Innovation Business.