Hardware Systems & Lab Engineer, Robotics & Operations

Responsibilities

• Design and build custom robotic platforms for experiments, including manipulators, mobile robots, and specialized end-effectors for research tasks.
• Develop modular hardware systems for testbeds that can be reconfigured to test different morphologies and validate co-designed robot architectures.
• Create sensor and actuator modules that integrate with research software, including cameras, force sensors, IMUs, and custom actuator designs.
• Manage vendor relationships and procurement including sourcing components, managing budgets, coordinating with suppliers, and maintaining spare parts inventory.
• Support hardware-software integration by working with researchers to ensure reliable communication between physical systems and control algorithms.
• Establish and maintain safety protocols including lockout/tagout procedures, emergency stops, safety interlocks, and personal protective equipment requirements.
• Organize and maintain lab infrastructure including workbenches, tool organization, storage systems, and specialized equipment like 3D printers and test fixtures.
• Manage lab inventory and supplies ensuring adequate stock of common components, maintaining organization systems, and coordinating purchasing.
• Train researchers on safe equipment use including robot operation procedures, tool usage, safety protocols, and emergency responses.
• Maintain lab equipment including preventive maintenance schedules, calibration procedures, and coordinating repairs when needed.
• Ensure compliance with institutional safety requirements, building codes, and relevant regulations for robotics laboratories.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated expertise in robotic hardware development, including designing and building custom robotic platforms, integrating sensors, actuators, and compute systems, creating modular, reconfigurable hardware systems, troubleshooting complex electromechanical systems, and possessing strong mechatronics skills spanning mechanical design, electrical engineering, and embedded systems.
• Experience with lab management and safety including developing safety protocols, maintaining equipment inventories, organizing workspaces, and training users on proper procedures.
• Understanding of the research-hardware interface, able to translate researcher needs into hardware specifications, anticipate common failure modes, and design systems that balance capability with reliability.
• Skilled at rapid prototyping and iteration, able to quickly build proof-of-concept systems, identify issues through testing, and iterate designs based on experimental results.
• Value documentation and maintainability, creating clear documentation for hardware designs, maintaining accurate BOMs, and designing systems that others can understand and modify.
• Progress with autonomy while ensuring safety, managing multiple hardware projects, prioritizing based on research needs, and making decisions that balance speed with safety.