Hardware Lead

As Hardware Lead youll build and own the hardware function from the ground up. Today we have deep expertise across AI autonomy and software with zero hardware in-house. Youll change that.

Youll define our hardware strategy across ground aerial and stationary platforms take ownership of the physical robots that run our field foundation models and grow the hardware team behind you as the company scales. This is a high-leverage role. Youll be the senior hardware voice in the company working directly with founders to decide what we build how we source it and how it survives in the field.

Expect to be deeply hands-on for the first year: building testing and iterating on real platforms in real conditions while laying the foundation for a hardware org youll later lead.

Details

• Location: Zürich Switzerland On-site
• Employment: Full-time
• Seniority: Director
• Visa & work authorization: Fully on-site in Zürich. Full visa and relocation support provided. Some flexibility possible for genuine needs but default is in-office.
  

Our Mission
We believe robotics is entering a transformative decade much like the arrival of the internet. Advances in AI cloud computing and hardware are reshaping what autonomous systems can do. Our mission is to build the intelligent software that powers physical security in the real world - enabling robots and sensors to handle dangerous and critical tasks that humans shouldnt have to. By engineering the orchestration layer for intelligent security we aim to create a world that is safer more secure and more resilient.

Were a strong founding team based in Zurich backed by visionary investors and advisors. We are engineering the future of security today!

Ideal candidate
The ideal candidate has 8 years of experience and has shipped at least one complex robotic system from prototype into real-world production. They must have a proven track record of ruggedizing hardware for outdoor/harsh environments and possess deep hands-on expertise across mechanical electrical and systems integration (world-class in at least one). Without direct experience taking a product through DVT/PVT and managing manufacturing do not proceed. They are a small scrappy and serious founding team that values curiosity and a hands-on building mentality. The ideal candidate is someone who thrives in a 0-to-1 environment and is excited by the prospect of being the sole hardware expert initially. They need a builder and a strategist not a manager who delegates.

What Youll Own

• Hardware strategy: platform choices (build vs. partner vs. integrate) across ground robots drones and stationary sensors
• Mechanical design: chassis mounting and ruggedization for outdoor security deployments
• Electrical and electromechanical systems: power compute actuation sensing integration
• Sensor integration (cameras LiDAR IMU GPS audio): selection calibration and physical integration
• Manufacturing and supply chain: prototype-to-production pipeline vendor management BOM ownership
• Field reliability: environmental qualification MTBF failure analysis and durability programs
• Hiring: build the hardware team behind you as the product scales

Who Were Looking For
Were looking for an experienced hardware engineer who has shipped real robotic systems into the field not just prototypes that demoed well. Youve seen what breaks at scale what survives and what doesnt. You move fast without compromising on reliability because security customers cant tolerate flaky hardware.

Your Background

• 8 years in robotics autonomous systems or adjacent hardware with at least one product taken from prototype into the field
• Deep expertise across mechanical electrical and systems integration - world-class in at least one strong in the others
• Hands-on experience taking robots through prototype DVT PVT and into production
• Track record of ruggedizing hardware for outdoor all-weather or harsh environments
• Experience managing manufacturing partners and supply chains
• Strong systems thinker - you reason cleanly across mechanical electrical firmware and software boundaries

Nice to have

• Experience across multiple mobile robot form factors (legged wheeled aerial)
• Background in defense security industrial inspection or other outdoor field robotics domains
• Familiarity with ROS 2 and modern robot bring-up workflows
• Prior experience starting and scaling a hardware team from zero

Interview process

1. Intro call with a Founder.
2. Half-day technical deep-dive in the Zürich office focused on solving real-world hardware problems and strategy.
3. Final cultural fit interview with CEO.

What We Offer

• Mission: Build the foundation models that decide how robots see reason and act in the real world. Research with deployment not papers without impact.
• Autonomy: Real independence on what to train how to evaluate and how to ship.
• Compute: Access to the compute and field data you need to do serious work.
• Team: Work alongside PhD-level co-founders in AI Robotics and Physics plus a strong founding engineering team.
• Location: In-person in Zürich Switzerland. Visa and relocation support available.
• Culture: Small international founding team thats serious about building but doesnt take itself too seriously. Curiosity and quirks welcome.