Forward Deployed Engineer, Robotics / Physical AI

About the role

This is a hands-on field role with a fast-growing Physical AI company, deploying robotics and automation solutions directly at customer sites and debugging complex hardware/software integrations in the real world.

Engagement details

• Location: San Francisco, United States
• Working model: Hybrid
• Start date: ASAP
• Employment type: Full-time, Contract or Freelance

Responsibilities

• Deploy robotics and automation solutions at customer sites across factory and logistics settings
• Debug complex hardware and software integrations hands-on in the field
• Work with and troubleshoot the perception stack - hi-fi optical cameras, depth sensors, and pressure/tactile sensors
• Support and iterate on Vision-Language-Action (VLA) systems in real-world deployments
• Adapt to unpredictable field deployment hours and keep customer installations on track
• Interface with international teams to align on deployment goals

Qualifications

• 2–3+ years deploying robotics or automation solutions in factory or logistics settings
• Early-stage startup experience with a scrappy, proactive approach to debugging complex hardware and software integrations
• Working knowledge and practical debugging experience with perception hardware (hi-fi optical cameras, depth perception sensors, pressure/tactile sensors)
• Basic modeling understanding and practical exposure to Vision-Language-Action (VLA) architectures (academic or lab experience is fully valid)
• Willingness to travel 50%–75% to customer sites across the US
• Functional or professional proficiency in Korean (required for 1–2 roles on this team to interface with international teams)

Nice-to-have

• Hands-on experience with GPU compute stacks and edge deployment environments