Technical Engineering Manager, Physical AI Solutions (UR & MiR, North Reading, MA)

About the role

We're seeking a Technical Engineering Manager to lead a team of AI engineers focused on developing and deploying physical AI robotic solutions in industrial automation. This role sits at the intersection of cutting-edge AI technology and practical product engineering, requiring someone who can balance innovation with the reliability demands of our customers.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of physical AI solutions including obstacle detection, object identification and classification, pose estimation, SLAM technologies and localization systems.
• Develop and leverage simulation (leveraging NVidia's Issac Sim and Cosmos) as a tool to aid engineering, training data generation and test development.
• Drive technical decisions around sensor selection and integration (RGBD cameras, LiDAR, ToF sensors, and more) based on application requirements and performance trade-offs.
• Ensure robust integration of AI functionality into existing robotic software stacks.
• Guide data science and engineering efforts recognizing that high-quality training and evaluation data is fundamental to successful AI/ML solutions.
• Manage and develop a team of AI engineers, providing technical mentorship and career guidance.
• Foster a collaborative team environment focused on delivering full-stack solutions, not just isolated algorithms.
• Build team capabilities through hiring, training, and continuous skill development.
• Promote engineering excellence and best practices across the team.
• Take ownership of features from conception through market launch and post-deployment customer support.
• Apply project management skills to plan, track progress, identify risks, and ensure successful execution.
• Ensure solutions meet the reliability and robustness requirements of industrial environments.
• Balance cutting-edge innovation with practical engineering constraints.
• Work closely with R&D teams at Universal Robots and Mobile Industrial Robots.
• Collaborate with hardware, software, product management, and customer success teams.
• Communicate technical concepts and progress effectively to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Contribute to the broader technical strategy for physical AI across the organization.

Requirements

• Technical Expertise:
• Sensor Technologies: Deep understanding of different sensor types (RGBD cameras, LiDAR, Time-of-Flight sensors, etc.) and the practical trade-offs between them in robotic applications.
• Simulation Experience: Proven track record utilizing simulation to support engineering development and testing efforts.
• Physical AI Domain Knowledge: Hands-on experience with concepts including: obstacle detection and avoidance, object identification and classification, pose estimation techniques, SLAM technologies (visual, LiDAR, multi-sensor fusion), global and relative localization methods.
• Experience with both AI components from open source and academia in addition to NVIDIA Isaac platform.
• Familiarity with Vision-Language-Action (VLA) models and their potential applications in robotics.
• Experience building and managing data pipelines at scale for ML applications.
• Software Engineering:
• Strong software development skills enabling integration of AI functionality into production robotic software stacks.
• Data Science & Engineering:
• Experience with data collection, annotation, pipeline development, and understanding data's critical role in AI/ML solutions.
• Product Experience:
• Demonstrated experience bringing products to market and maintaining them in customer environments.
• Full-Stack Mindset: Ability to work effectively in team environments building complete solutions, not just AI algorithms in isolation.
• Leadership & Management:
• Proven experience managing technical teams.
• Project management capabilities with track record of delivering on commitments.
• Ability to develop and mentor engineers.
• Strong communication skills across technical and business contexts.
• Collaborative working style with cross-functional teams.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or a related field.
• Minimum 8 years of relevant experience in robotics, AI, or related fields.
• Proven track record of leading and mentoring technical teams.
• Experience with both open-source and commercial AI frameworks.
• Experience with sensor integration and machine learning model development.
• Strong understanding of robotics, computer vision, and machine learning principles.
• Experience with simulation tools such as NVIDIA Isaac Sim and Cosmos.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.

Skills

• Advanced knowledge of sensor technologies and their practical applications in robotics.
• Experience with simulation tools and methodologies.
• Strong ability to integrate AI solutions into existing robotic software stacks.
• Proven track record of leading and mentoring technical teams.
• Effective communication and collaboration skills.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Flexible spending accounts.
• Roth and traditional 401(k) plans.
• Life and disability insurance.
• Accommodations for those with disabilities.
• Generous paid time off.
• Tuition reimbursement programs.
• Comprehensive wellness programs.