We are looking for a Head of Robotics Engineering with 8+ years of experience (5+ with PhD) to lead the entire robotics software and firmware organization at a fast-scaling robotics company. You will serve as the bridge between high-level software and lower-level firmware/embedded systems, owning everything in between. This is a hands-on technical leadership role reporting directly to the CTO, managing a team of 5-10 engineers today and scaling to 15. You must come from a robotics company background with deep expertise in controls, manipulation, or a related discipline. We need someone who can both write and review production code while building and mentoring a world-class robotics engineering team.
What will you be doing?
Lead and grow a team of 5-15 engineers spanning firmware, controls, planning, and teleoperation, acting as a hands-on technical leader who writes and reviews production code.
Own the architecture and roadmap for robot-side firmware including real-time control loops, sensor/actuator interfaces, safety systems, and onboard compute software.
Bridge the gap between high-level software and lower-level firmware/embedded systems, ensuring seamless integration across the full robotics stack.
Drive hardware root-cause investigations across mechanical, electrical, and firmware domains, turning field failures into corrective actions.
Set engineering standards including code review practices, testing/validation for safety-critical systems, and release discipline for software running on physical hardware.
- 8+ years of experience in robotics engineering (firmware, controls, embedded systems); 5+ years if holding a PhD
- Strong background in robotics; industry experience preferred
- Experience from a robotics company in the US (not EV or adjacent industry)
- Led/managed a team of 5+ engineers across firmware/controls/hardware
- Experience with humanoid or complex multi-DOF robotic systems
- Expertise in embedded systems AND controls/manipulation (must span both layers)
- Hands-on with RTOS, real-time control loops, and firmware development
- Experience with teleoperation systems or data collection pipelines
- Hands-on technical leader who still writes and reviews production code
- MS or PhD in Robotics, EE, ME, or CS (PhD in robotics preferred)