Robotics Engineering Lead

United States

Full Time

Senior Manager/Supervisor

Location: Santa Rosa, California
Employment Type: Full-Time
Industry: Semiconductor / Advanced Manufacturing
Experience: 3+ years of industrial automation or robotics experience
Education: Bachelor’s degree or higher required
Travel: None
Relocation Assistance: Available
Visa Sponsorship: Not available
Benefits: Full benefits package

Position Summary
Our client is seeking a hands-on Robotics Engineering Lead to lead the automation of manufacturing processes from initial concept through successful production deployment.

This individual will identify manufacturing operations that are strong candidates for automation, select the appropriate technologies, and personally design, program, integrate, test, and commission robotic systems.

The role will focus heavily on collaborative robots (cobots), autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), machine vision, sensors, end-effectors, and material-handling automation within a live manufacturing environment.

This is a technical leadership position rather than a traditional people-management role. The successful candidate will establish technical direction, lead projects, mentor engineers and technicians, and remain personally involved in programming, integration, troubleshooting, testing, and commissioning.

Key Responsibilities
Robotics & Automation Engineering

Identify and prioritize manufacturing processes that are strong candidates for automation.
Develop the technical and business case for automation initiatives.
Design, program, integrate, and commission collaborative robotic systems.
Develop cobot applications involving:
Assembly
Material handling
Machine tending
Inspection
Testing
Pick-and-place applications
Integrate robotic systems into existing factory equipment and production lines.
Select and integrate:
End-effectors
Grippers
Sensors
Machine vision
Force/torque systems
Related automation hardware

Autonomous Mobile Robots

Deploy and integrate Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) within manufacturing environments.
Develop and optimize AMR routes.
Support fleet coordination and traffic management.
Integrate AMRs with production workstations and material-handling processes.
Configure material hand-offs between AMRs and manufacturing equipment.
Support integration with manufacturing or warehouse systems where applicable.

End-to-End Project Ownership
Own automation projects throughout the complete lifecycle, including:

Requirements gathering
Process evaluation
Concept development
System design
Simulation
Build
Programming
Integration
Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT)
Site Acceptance Testing (SAT)
Validation
Commissioning
Production hand-off

The successful candidate must be comfortable owning a project rather than only supporting one portion of the implementation.

Simulation & Offline Programming

Use robotic simulation and offline programming tools to validate designs before physical deployment.
Evaluate:
Robot reach
Cell layouts
Cycle times
Collision risks
Accessibility
Process feasibility
Optimize system designs prior to installation.
Utilize tools such as RoboDK, RobotStudio, or similar vendor platforms.

Technical Leadership

Serve as a hands-on technical lead for robotics and factory automation.
Establish technical standards and best practices.
Review designs and automation concepts.
Mentor engineers, technicians, and operators developing robotics capabilities.
Lead projects while remaining actively involved in engineering execution.
Communicate complex technical concepts to cross-functional stakeholders.

Vendor & Technology Management

Evaluate robotics, cobot, AMR, vision, and automation vendors.
Assess new technologies for manufacturing applications.
Coordinate pilots and proof-of-concept deployments.
Determine which technologies should be scaled across manufacturing operations.
Work effectively with external system integrators and equipment vendors.

Manufacturing Safety

Partner with appropriate safety stakeholders throughout robotic-system development.
Conduct and support robotic-system risk assessments.
Ensure robotic and collaborative applications meet applicable machine-safety requirements before production deployment.
Apply knowledge of relevant safety standards such as:
ISO 10218
ISO/TS 15066
ISO 12100
ISO 13849

Documentation & Training

Develop technical documentation for robotic deployments.
Create operating procedures and run books.
Document system configurations, troubleshooting procedures, and maintenance requirements.
Train production teams on the safe and effective operation of automation systems.
Ensure production teams can sustain deployments after engineering hand-off.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D. in:
Robotics
Computer Science
Electrical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Or a closely related technical discipline
3+ years of industrial automation or robotics experience
Demonstrated experience deploying automation or robotic systems in a live manufacturing or production environment
Strong combination of software and mechanical engineering capabilities
Hands-on experience programming and integrating collaborative robots
Experience integrating:
End-effectors
Grippers
Sensors
Machine vision
Hands-on experience with AMRs and material-handling automation
Experience deploying and integrating AMRs on a factory floor
Experience using robotic simulation and offline programming tools
Demonstrated ability to lead technical projects while remaining personally hands-on
Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving abilities
Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with ROS / ROS 2
Experience with robot simulation or digital-twin platforms
Experience with RoboDK, RobotStudio, or comparable tools
Experience with 2D or 3D machine vision
Experience with force/torque control
Pick-and-place automation experience
AMR fleet-management experience
Integration experience with manufacturing or warehouse execution systems
Electronics manufacturing experience
Semiconductor manufacturing experience
Precision manufacturing experience
High-mix / low-volume manufacturing experience
CAD experience using tools such as:
Creo
SolidWorks
AutoCAD
Relevant robot/cobot vendor certifications
Knowledge of robotic and collaborative-machine safety standards

Ideal Candidate Profile
The strongest candidate will combine: Hands-on cobot programming + AMR deployment + live manufacturing automation + robotics simulation + mechanical/software engineering + full project ownership + technical leadership.

Our client is specifically looking for someone who has personally deployed robotic systems into production, not someone whose experience has been primarily theoretical, research-based, managerial, or limited to traditional PLC automation.

This individual should be comfortable moving between a computer, robot cell, production line, engineering team, technician group, and manufacturing floor as needed.

----------

Disclaimer: This job description is intended to provide a general overview of the responsibilities and requirements of the position. It is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required. The company reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet business and organizational needs as necessary.

Equal Employment Opportunity: HireVenture is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Confidentiality Notice: This job description and any accompanying attachments are confidential and may contain privileged information intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete the original message.

Copyright: This job description is copyrighted by HireVenture. Unauthorized use, reproduction, or distribution of this material is strictly prohibited without the written consent of HireVenture.

Note: The information provided in this job description is subject to change without notice. Please refer to the latest version of the job description available on our website for the most up-to-date information.

----------

HireVenture
www.hireventure.com

Apply for this position

Required*

First Name*

Last Name*

Email Address*

Phone*

Address

Resume*

We've received your resume. Click here to update it.

Attach resume or Paste resume

Attach resume as .pdf, .doc, .docx, .odt, .txt, or .rtf (limit 5MB) or Paste resume

Paste your resume here or Attach resume file

Do you have at least 3 years of hands-on industrial automation or robotics experience, including deployment within a live manufacturing or production environment?*

Have you personally programmed, integrated, and commissioned collaborative robots (cobots) such as Universal Robots or a comparable platform?*

Have you personally deployed or integrated Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) for material movement within a manufacturing or production environment?*

Have you personally owned a robotics or automation project from requirements/concept through design, build, testing, commissioning, and production hand-off?*

Do you have hands-on experience using robot simulation or offline programming tools to validate cell layouts, reachability, cycle times, or system performance before physical deployment?*

Which of the following have you personally integrated into robotic systems? Select all that apply.*

Have you served as the technical lead or project lead for a robotics or industrial automation deployment while remaining personally hands-on with the engineering work?*

Does your experience include both software/programming and hands-on mechanical integration of robotics or automation equipment?*

Do you hold at least a Bachelor’s degree in Robotics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related technical field?*

Are you legally authorized to work in the United States without current or future employer-sponsored visa assistance?*

Human Check*

Submit Application

Thanks for visiting our Career Page. Please review our open positions and apply to the positions that match your qualifications.

Robotics Engineering Lead

Apply for this position