Title: Staff Hardware Engineer, Robotics Systems & Deployments
Location: NYC (Onsite)
Full time role
We are looking for a Staff Hardware Engineer with 8+ years of experience to own the technical architecture and deployment of robotic hardware systems for a defense-focused autonomous manufacturing startup. You'll join a tiny, ground-floor team in NYC that has already closed seven figures of revenue with a tier-one defense prime — and you'll be the person who makes sure the hardware actually works in the real world. This is a hands-on leadership role where you'll prototype and iterate quickly, integrate commercial off-the-shelf robotic arms and sensors into complete workcells, and drive systems from the lab to customer deployment. If you're on the brink of stepping into a Head of Hardware role and want to own something end-to-end, this is it.
What will you be doing?
- Leading the rapid prototyping and iteration of robotic hardware systems as the team works toward its first major customer deployment
- Evaluating and integrating COTS robotic arms (6-DOF/7-DOF manipulators), end effectors, camera systems, and sensors into complete workcells — identifying what will and won't work for the task at hand
- Owning hardware programs end-to-end: from requirements and system architecture through validation, production, and field deployment at customer sites
- Establishing engineering standards, leading design reviews, and mentoring the existing mechanical engineering team to raise the technical bar
- Building and eventually hiring and managing a hardware team as the company scales its deployments across the defense industrial base
Work experience
Experience in robotics engineering (not a pure mechanical engineering background)
Track record of leading technically complex hardware programs end-to-end (from architecture through production and field deployment)
Experience as a hands-on technical lead or hardware manager
Hard skills
Proficiency with a modern 3D CAD platform (SolidWorks, Onshape, Creo, NX)
Technical experience evaluating robotic hardware systems and end effectors
Command of mechanical engineering fundamentals (tolerance analysis, GD&T, structural design, materials, fasteners, bearings, actuators, cable management, manufacturing processes)
Soft skills
Experience leading design reviews, resolving cross-functional technical disagreements, and influencing engineering direction without formal authority
Nice-to-have
Experience developing or working with robotic manipulation hardware (grippers, custom fingers, tool changers, compliant mechanisms, tactile or force-sensing systems, 6/7 DOF arms)
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