Leads the hardware organization responsible for designing, prototyping, testing, manufacturing, and scaling warehouse robots. Owns product lifecycle execution from requirements through volume production, improves reliability and manufacturing yield, establishes engineering standards and processes, directs build-versus-buy and supplier decisions, and builds a high-performing mechanical, electrical, and manufacturing engineering team. Partners with software, autonomy, product, procurement, and customer operations to deliver reliable robots at scale.
About Ultra
Ultra builds industrial AI robots that are working in the real world today. Our robots automate mission-critical warehouse labor end-to-end, starting with e-commerce order packaging. We deploy fast, learn from real production data, and iterate aggressively. We already have a quickly growing number of revenue-generating robots operating in U.S. warehouses, and are now scaling towards thousands of deployments over the next few years. Our mission is simple: build the world's most useful and deployable robot.
WARNING: Robotics is not for the faint of heart. There are no silver bullets here. It is tiresome, unglamorous, and at times brutal work. The only way out is through, and the only way through is treacherous and unknown. Success will require teamwork - so we are building a world-class team to tackle some of the most exciting problems out there. We hope you join us.
The roleWe are looking for someone to lead the team that designs and builds our high-performance warehouse robots. You will be taking complex electromechanical systems from a blank page through requirements, prototyping, lifecycle testing, and production, and shipping them by the thousands. Your mission is to build an elite team of engineers who know how to surprise and delight our customers with reliable, innovative hardware, and to build the engineering engine that lets us scale it. You’ll be given real budget, strategic influence, and a seat on the leadership team.
What you’ll do
- Strategic ownership. You are a core member of the leadership team, with strategic influence over R&D priorities, product roadmap, capital allocation, and growth planning.
- Scale the current product to hundreds. Deliver hundreds of units on time and at the quality our customers expect, optimizing the design to raise field reliability and manufacturing yield.
- Lead next-gen design to deliver thousands. Own the end-to-end design process for our next-generation products. Invest in R&D that delivers significant improvements for our customers, and lead the team to build it at scale.
- Build a repeatable engine. Put in place the process, tooling, and documentation that let us go from concept to volume production predictably. Each iteration is a preparation for the next.
- Set engineering standards. As the tech lead, you will set expectations for quality, documentation, DFM/DFA, change control, and test coverage.
- Drive build vs. buy. Lead the decisions on what we design in-house vs. outsource, what we assemble ourselves vs. contract out, and where off-the-shelf parts are the right answer.
- Evaluate suppliers. Work with procurement to run a structured process to specify, evaluate, and select components and vendors.
- Build an elite hardware team. Hire a hardware team matched to the depth of design work ahead: mechanical, electrical, and manufacturing.
- Partner cross-functionally. Work closely with Software, Autonomy, Product, and Customer Operations to deliver a product that meets market needs.
Who you are
- Shipped at volume. Track record leading teams that delivered complete systems from concept to customer, at thousands of units.
- 10+ years with similar hardware. Extensive experience developing robotics or comparable electromechanical systems and taking them from prototype to volume production.
- Technical and team leadership. You have both the technical depth and the leadership experience to make the right decisions, make the hard decisions, and deliver on time.
- Full lifecycle ownership. Hands-on experience running an engineering process from requirements → EVT/DVT/PVT builds → scaled production.
- Supplier expertise. Experience with supplier selection and management, including sourcing custom or hard-to-find components and evaluating vendor quality with a strict IQC process.
- Team builder. Proven ability to hire, develop, and retain strong engineers.c
Expected Compensation
$250,000 - $350,000/annual salary + equity + benefits
This compensation range may be inclusive of several career levels at Ultra and will be narrowed during the interview process based on the candidate’s experience and qualifications. Adjustments outside of this range may be considered for candidates whose qualifications significantly differ from those outlined in the job description.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply.
Ultra (ultra.tech) New York, New York, USA Office
New York, New York, United States, 11232 2405
Similar Jobs
Artificial Intelligence • Robotics • Defense • Manufacturing
Leads architecture and delivery of robotic data-collection platforms, end effectors, sensing systems, and customer workcells from requirements through field deployment. Responsibilities include hardware design, prototyping, validation, reliability testing, manufacturing documentation, system integration, deployment, troubleshooting, technical reviews, standards development, and mentoring. The role collaborates with robotics, controls, machine learning, manufacturing, safety, operations, suppliers, and customers while establishing scalable hardware platforms and deployment processes.
Top Skills:
3D CadActuatorsAnsi/Ria R15.06CamerasCollaborative RobotsCreoDfmeaEmbedded ComputeFault-Tree AnalysisGd&TIndustrial RobotsIso 10218Iso/Ts 15066Machine VisionNetworkingNxOnshapePower Distribution SystemsRobotics SystemsSensorsSolidworks
Fintech • Payments • Financial Services
Lead Adyen's global hardware strategy and vendor ecosystem. Define 3–5 year device roadmaps, negotiate complex partner development and supply agreements, translate merchant needs into technical requirements, scale certification and distribution globally, and push vendor-led hardware innovation (biometrics, connectivity, custom designs).
Top Skills:
BiometricsDevice SecurityFirmwareMobile PosPosTap To Pay
Hardware • Internet of Things • Energy • Industrial
Lead hardware engineering for IoT devices focusing on PCB design, embedded firmware, and low-power long-range communications (LoRaWAN and Sub-GHz). Manage multidisciplinary teams, ensure regulatory compliance and interoperability, optimize power consumption and network performance for industrial LPWAN deployments, and drive technical strategy for scalable, reliable connected devices.
Top Skills:
Connected DevicesEmbedded SystemsEnergy HarvestingFirmware DevelopmentIot PlatformsLorawanLpwanPcb DesignSub-Gigahertz
What you need to know about the NYC Tech Scene
As the undisputed financial capital of the world, New York City is an epicenter of startup funding activity. The city has a thriving fintech scene and is a major player in verticals ranging from AI to biotech, cybersecurity and digital media. It also has universities like NYU, Columbia and Cornell Tech attracting students and researchers from across the globe, providing the ecosystem with a constant influx of world-class talent. And its East Coast location and three international airports make it a perfect spot for European companies establishing a foothold in the United States.
Key Facts About NYC Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 549,200; 6% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Capgemini, Bloomberg, IBM, Spotify
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, Fintech
- Funding Landscape: $25.5 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Greycroft, Thrive Capital, Union Square Ventures, FirstMark Capital, Tiger Global Management, Tribeca Venture Partners, Insight Partners, Two Sigma Ventures
- Research Centers and Universities: Columbia University, New York University, Fordham University, CUNY, AI Now Institute, Flatiron Institute, C.N. Yang Institute for Theoretical Physics, NASA Space Radiation Laboratory
