Sr. Director, Hardware Engineering

📋 Description

• • Serve Robotics is at the forefront of revolutionizing urban logistics, envisioning a future where personable sidewalk robots handle deliveries, alleviating street congestion and enhancing accessibility for communities and local businesses. Our innovative robots are already delighting customers and merchants across major cities like Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, Atlanta, and Chicago, proving the viability and appeal of robotic deliveries. We are actively seeking exceptional talent to transition robotic deliveries from a novel concept to an indispensable part of urban infrastructure.
• • As the Sr. Director of Hardware Engineering, you will be instrumental in shaping the future of our robotic fleet. This leadership role demands a blend of deep technical acumen, strategic foresight, and exceptional people management skills. You will be responsible for guiding a high-performing, international team of hardware engineers through the entire product lifecycle, from initial concept and design to validation, manufacturing, and ongoing iteration. Your leadership will foster an environment of innovation, collaboration, and rigorous technical execution, ensuring that Serve Robotics continues to push the boundaries of what's possible in autonomous delivery.
• • **Leadership & Team Management:**
• • Inspire, lead, and mentor a diverse, international team of hardware engineers, cultivating a culture that champions innovation, fosters deep collaboration, and upholds the highest standards of technical excellence. Your leadership will be key to attracting, retaining, and developing top engineering talent.
• • Define clear, ambitious team goals that align directly with Serve Robotics' overarching strategic objectives. You will be responsible for effective resource allocation, ensuring that your team's efforts are focused on the most impactful projects and that critical milestones are met.
• • Forge strong partnerships with leaders across cross-functional departments, including mechanical engineering, embedded software, autonomy, manufacturing, and systems engineering. This collaborative approach is essential for ensuring seamless integration of hardware components and achieving a cohesive, high-performing product.
• • **Technical Oversight & Strategy:**
• • Provide authoritative technical guidance and direction throughout the design, development, and validation phases of our complex hardware systems. You will ensure that all hardware development adheres strictly to project specifications, quality standards, and aggressive timelines.
• • Oversee the critical aspects of hardware design, including the intricate details of embedded systems, robust power management solutions, and the integration of sensors and actuators specifically tailored for demanding robotics applications.
• • Maintain a hands-on engagement with the technical aspects of the role, actively participating in design reviews, contributing to system architecture decisions, and providing critical technical leadership on key challenges. This ensures that strategic direction is grounded in practical, real-world engineering.
• • Drive the long-term strategic planning and roadmapping for hardware engineering at Serve Robotics. This involves anticipating future technological needs, identifying emerging opportunities, and charting a course for sustained innovation in robotics hardware.
• • **Operational Excellence & Execution:**
• • Develop and meticulously manage the hardware engineering department's budget, ensuring prudent financial stewardship, efficient resource allocation, and strategic prioritization of investments.
• • Create comprehensive, detailed project plans for hardware development initiatives. You will be responsible for rigorously tracking progress, proactively identifying and mitigating risks, and ensuring the successful delivery of products on time and within defined scope.
• • Establish and champion structured, methodical processes and best practices for diagnosing, troubleshooting, and resolving complex technical challenges. This systematic approach is vital for maintaining product reliability and accelerating development cycles.
• • Uphold and enforce stringent standards for quality assurance, comprehensive reliability testing, and adherence to all relevant compliance and safety regulations.
• • Ensure that hardware designs meet the demanding requirements for volume production and cost-effectiveness, working closely with manufacturing partners to achieve scalable and efficient production.
• • Foster a culture of continuous improvement within the engineering team, constantly seeking ways to enhance our engineering practices, workflows, and overall operational efficiency.