What are the responsibilities and job description for the Vice President of Engineering, Hardware & Embedded Software position at RISE® Robotics?
Location: Somerville, MA (on-site)
Reports to: CEO
Department: Mechanical Engineering, Embedded Systems, Test Engineering
Employment Type: Full-time
Role & Responsibilities
As VP of Engineering, you will lead the engineering organization and ensure the seamless integration of hardware and embedded software into a unified robotics product. Your responsibilities will include (but are not limited to):
Technical Leadership & Vision
Reports to: CEO
Department: Mechanical Engineering, Embedded Systems, Test Engineering
Employment Type: Full-time
Role & Responsibilities
As VP of Engineering, you will lead the engineering organization and ensure the seamless integration of hardware and embedded software into a unified robotics product. Your responsibilities will include (but are not limited to):
Technical Leadership & Vision
- Define and own the engineering vision and strategy for hardware and embedded software, aligning with Rise's product roadmap, market goals, and business strategy
- Shape system architecture for robotics platforms: mechanical, electrical, firmware, embedded software, sensors, controls, communication, and networking
- Drive technical innovation and ensure engineering design excellence, robustness, reliability and manufacturability in hardware and embedded systems
- Maintain awareness of emerging technologies in robotics, sensors, AI, embedded systems, and advise on how to incorporate them into future products
- Build, mentor and lead a high-performing engineering organization: hardware engineering (mechanical & electrical), firmware & embedded software engineering, system integration, test & validation
- Define and implement recruiting, onboarding, performance management, professional development, and retention strategies for engineering talent
- Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, continuous improvement, learning and innovation
- Establish appropriate organizational structure, processes, and communication mechanisms to support rapid development, scaling, and cross-discipline coordination
- Oversee end-to-end product development lifecycle from concept through design, prototyping, testing, validation, manufacturing, and launch
- Establish accountability goals to measure engineering productivity, product quality, reliability, time to market, and post-launch field performance
- Ensure rigorous hardware and embedded software verification, validation, and compliance with relevant standards (e.g., safety, EMC, reliability, field durability)
- Manage budgets, timelines, and resource allocation across hardware and embedded software engineering initiatives
- Drive design for manufacturability (DFM), design for test (DFT), reliability engineering, thermal/ mechanical/EMI/ESD compliance, and supplier/contract manufacturer engagement
- Collaborate with operations and supply chain to move prototypes into pilot production and high-volume manufacturing while maintaining engineering integrity, field reliability and cost targets
- Establish post-launch support, field feedback loops, & continuous improvement processes
- Serve as a senior technical voice in the leadership team, contributing to business strategy, investment planning, go-to-market readiness, and customer growth
- Work with the CEO to ensure engineering decisions support overall company objectives and customer needs
- Represent engineering externally: with customers, partners, suppliers, industry events, key technical discussions, and possibly investors
- 10 years of progressive engineering leadership experience in hardware and embedded software development, preferably in robotics, industrial automation, autonomous systems or related high-complexity domain
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Robotics or related field. Advanced degree is a plus
- Proven track record of leading cross-disciplinary teams (mechanical, electrical, firmware, embedded software, systems integration) and delivering complete product platforms to market (ideally both hardware embedded software)
- Deep technical expertise in embedded systems (firmware, RTOS, drivers, middleware), electronics/PCB design, sensor integration, robotics controls, system architecture, and manufacturing readiness
- Demonstrated experience collaborating across functions (product, manufacturing, operations, quality, supply chain) and influencing up to C-level
- Strong business acumen: ability to align engineering roadmap with business goals, manage budgets, resource planning, timeline trade-offs and risk management
- Excellent communication and leadership skills, capable of inspiring and mentoring engineering teams, setting vision and holding teams accountable for results
- Comfortable working on-site in Somerville, MA, and capable of being hands-on when necessary (not purely executive)