What are the responsibilities and job description for the Electrical Engineer position at Sphinx?
Electrical Engineer — Sphinx (Mythos Pet Foods, Inc.) On-site · Palo Alto, CA
About Sphinx
Sphinx is building the first refrigerated smart feeder platform for wet cat food — think Keurig, but for cats. Our sealed food pod system keeps wet food fresh and delivers it on schedule, solving the #1 barrier to wet feeding: convenience. We hold issued patents on both the device and food pod system, pre-sold ~1,600 units on Kickstarter ($540K in 30 days), and have signed distribution partners covering 4,000 veterinary and retail locations. We're a seed-stage team based in Palo Alto backed by the co-founder of MongoDB.
The Role
We're looking for an Electrical Engineer to own the electrical system across our feeder platform — from PCB design through production bring-up. You'll work directly alongside our Head of Hardware, and Mechanical Engineering team to take our next-generation hardware from engineering validation through mass manufacturing.
This is a foundational role at an early-stage company. You'll have significant ownership over architecture decisions and will see your work ship to real customers.
What You'll Do
Own schematic design, PCB layout, and board bring-up for the Sphinx feeder platform
Design and validate power management, motor control, sensor, and connectivity subsystems
Work hands-on with firmware engineers to define hardware/software interfaces
Manage relationships with contract manufacturers in China — review DFM feedback, resolve production issues, and support build runs (travel may be required)
Drive electrical subsystems from EVT through DVT and into PVT
Source and qualify components, manage BOMs, and optimize for cost at scale
Debug and resolve electrical issues across prototype and production units
What We're Looking For
BS/MS in Electrical Engineering or equivalent
~3-4 years of experience, with at least one product shipped from prototype through mass production
Strong PCB design skills (Altium or KiCad) — both schematic capture and layout
Experience with embedded systems (ARM Cortex-M or similar), motor drivers, power regulation, and wireless (Wi-Fi/BLE)
Familiarity with working alongside Chinese CMs — reviewing Gerbers, managing pilot runs, and debugging production issues remotely or on-site
Comfortable in a fast-moving startup where you'll wear multiple hats and own outcomes end-to-end
Nice to Have
Experience with consumer electronics or connected hardware products (smart home, kitchen appliances, pet tech)
Thermal management experience (our system includes active refrigeration)
EMC/EMI pre-compliance testing experience
Mandarin language skills
What We Offer
Competitive salary meaningful early-stage equity
On-site in Palo Alto with a small, experienced hardware team
- The chance to define a new product category in the $147B pet industry
Salary : $540,000