Senior Engineering / Lab Technical Lead

Job Description

Job Description

Test Bench Build & Execution

● Design, build, and operate test benches for prototype robotic hardware — including power systems, motion actuation, sensor arrays, and communication interfaces.

● Develop test plans and acceptance criteria in partnership with hardware engineers; own execution of those tests and documentation of results.

● Build custom fixtures, jigs, and test setups for hardware validation — combining mechanical fabrication, electrical wiring, and software scripting as needed.

● Operate and maintain diagnostic equipment including oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, multimeters, and signal analyzers; train junior staff on their use.

Hardware Builds & Integration

● Support and in some cases lead prototype hardware builds — integrating actuators, sensors

(force/torque, IMUs, encoders, vision systems), compute modules, and power distribution systems.

● Perform PCB bring-up and debug, interpret schematics and layout files, and triage issues at the component, board, and system level.

● Validate communication buses including CAN, EtherCAT, and RS-485; troubleshoot timing, signal integrity, and protocol issues.

● Provide DFM/DFA (Design for Manufacturability / Design for Assembly) feedback to hardware engineers based on hands-on build experience.

Troubleshooting & Failure Analysis

● Own root cause analysis for hardware failures across the full platform — power, compute, comms, actuation, and sensing.

● Reproduce and document failures systematically; author clear failure analysis reports that engineering teams can act on.

● Build and maintain a debug playbook for the lab — capturing known failure modes, diagnostic approaches, and resolution paths.

● Serve as the technical escalation point for complex issues in the lab, bridging the gap between hands-on debugging and engineering team decision-making.