VP of Hardware

What You'll Do

• Partner with Product Management to define system requirements and product roadmaps
• Translate product requirements into clear engineering specifications and system architectures
• Drive end-to-end hardware development across mechanical, electrical, and system domains
• Design and develop robotic systems including manipulation platforms, end effectors, sensor integration, and compute and control systems
• Ensure systems are robust to real-world operating conditions (variability, wear, safety, uptime)
• Oversee full product lifecycle: Concept → Prototype → Validation → NPI → Volume Production
• Build and manage rigorous test and validation processes (functional, reliability, safety)
• Establish engineering processes and standards to support rapid iteration without compromising quality
• Lead New Product Introduction (NPI) and transition to volume production
• Work together with operations and supply chain teams to develop and manage relationships with contract manufacturers and key suppliers
• Drive cost optimization, yield improvement, and supply chain resilience
• Oversee safety engineering and certification processes (CE, ISO, etc.)
• Ensure systems meet regulatory and industrial deployment requirements globally
• Build and lead a world-class hardware engineering team across mechanical, electrical, and systems engineering
• Establish a culture of execution, ownership, and first-principles problem solving
• Encourage the team to push beyond existing approaches, rapidly iterate, and learn from real-world data

What We're Looking For

• 15+ years of experience in hardware/system development, including senior leadership roles
• Proven track record of taking complex hardware systems from concept to volume production
• Deep experience across the full product lifecycle: requirements definition, system architecture, design & development, test & validation, NPI & manufacturing scale-up
• Strong experience with contract manufacturing and global supply chains
• Experience leading safety, certification, and compliance efforts
• Demonstrated ability to build and lead high-performing engineering teams
• Experience working closely with product management and cross-functional teams

Nice To Have (But Not Required)

• Experience building and shipping commercially scaled robotic systems
• Background in robotics, automation, or industrial systems
• Experience with high-reliability systems deployed in real-world environments
• Familiarity with hardware/software/AI system integration