Robotics Engineering Lead

Robotics Engineering Lead_Santa Rosa, CA_Full-Time(FTE)_Direct Hire
Position Title: Robotics Engineering LeadJob Type: Full-TimeLocation: Santa Rosa, CABase Salary: $114,000 to $192,000 + Best-in-class benefitsIndustry: SemiconductorsJob Category: Manufacturing - Product Development
Job Description:Responsibilities:* Identify and prioritize manufacturing processes that are strong candidates for automation, building the business and technical case for each.* Design, program, integrate, and commission collaborative robot (cobot) for tasks such as assembly, material handling, machine tending, inspection, and test.* Deploy and integrate autonomous mobile robots AMRs for material movement, including route planning, fleet coordination, and hand-offs to workstations.* Own end-to-end delivery: requirements, concept design, simulation, build, factory and site acceptance testing (FAT/SAT), validation, and production hand-off.* Integrate robots, sensors, vision, and end-effectors with existing factory equipment and production lines.* Serve as the hands-on technical lead: set standards, review designs, and mentor engineers, technicians, and operators moving into robotics.* Evaluate and manage robot, cobot, AMR, and integration vendors; run pilots and scale the technologies that prove out.* Develop and maintain documentation, run-books, and training so that production teams can operate and sustain each deployment.
Qualifications:Required:* Bachelor, Master or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent industry research experience).* 3+ years of experience in industrial automation or robotics, including deploying systems in a live manufacturing or production environment.* Strong mix of both software and mechanical engineering.* Hands-on experience programming and integrating collaborative robots (e.g., Universal Robots or similar) and their end-effectors, grippers, and vision.* Experience with AMRs and material-handling automation, including deployment and integration on a factory floor.* Experience with cobot simulation and offline programming tools to validate cobot cell layouts, cycle times, and reachability before physical deployment.* Demonstrated ability to lead a project and mentor others while remaining personally hands-on with the technical work.* Strong problem-solving, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
Preferred:* Experience with ROS / ROS 2 and robot simulation or digital-twin tools (e.g., RobotStudio, RoboDK, or vendor equivalents).* Familiarity with 2D/3D machine vision, force/torque control, and pick-and-place applications.* AMR fleet management and integration with warehouse / manufacturing execution systems.* Experience in electronics or precision, high-mix / low-volume manufacturing.* Proficiency with CAD (e.g., Creo, SolidWorks, AutoCAD) for tooling and layout.* Vendor certifications in relevant robot or cobot platforms.* Working knowledge of machine safety standards and risk assessment for robotic and collaborative applications (e.g., ISO 10218, ISO/TS 15066, ISO 12100, ISO 13849).
Compensation:*Full-time*Benefits - Full*Relocation Assistance Available - Yes*Interview Travel Reimbursed - Yes
Candidate Details:*2+ to 5 years experience*Seniority Level - Mid-Senior*Minimum Education - Bachelor's Degree