VP of Hardware

We are looking for a VP of Hardware to own the complete hardware stack across mechanical engineering, electronics, embedded systems, firmware, manufacturing, calibration, and field reliability. This is a hands-on executive role where you will define the hardware roadmap, build and lead the team, make architecture decisions, review designs, debug failures, and stay closely involved with devices in production.

Responsibilities:

• Own the end-to-end hardware roadmap and system architecture.
• Take hardware from prototype to repeatable, production-ready products.
• Lead mechanical, electronics, embedded, firmware, manufacturing, and testing functions.
• Improve fleet uptime, serviceability, reliability, and repair turnaround.
• Ensure robust sensing, synchronization, calibration, and device-health monitoring.
• Own BOM, unit economics, manufacturing timelines, suppliers, testing, and production readiness.
• Build, recruit, and lead a multidisciplinary hardware organization.
• Establish strong design, testing, documentation, and version-control processes.
• Work closely with Operations, Data Engineering, and Research teams.
• Diagnose real-world hardware failures and drive root-cause resolution.

Requirements:

• 12+ years of experience in multidisciplinary hardware/product engineering, with significant leadership experience.
• Proven track record of shipping complex hardware products into real-world environments.
• Experience taking products from prototype to production deployment at scale.
• Deep technical expertise in at least one area, such as mechanical, electronics, embedded systems, firmware, robotics, or sensor systems.
• Strong understanding of hardware architecture and cross-functional engineering trade-offs.
• Hands-on experience with manufacturing, suppliers, testing, calibration, reliability, and field failures.
• Strong team-building and technical leadership skills. Comfortable working in a fast-paced, hands-on startup environment.

Preferred Background:

• Experience in one or more of the following is a plus: robotics/teleoperation, motion capture, wearables, sensor-rich hardware, embedded systems, low-volume or specialized manufacturing, or physical AI/robotics data collection.