Head of Mechanical Hardware

Minerva Humanoids; München; On-site; EUR 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Very competitive base salary

Significant equity in Minerva Humanoid

Job summary

Minerva Humanoids is developing humanoid robots for the most dangerous environments and is building its German entity. As Head of Hardware (Mechanical), you own the mechanical platform end to end and set the strategy, not inherit architecture or a team, while collaborating with CEO, CTO, and MD Germany.

You will define mechanical strategy, lead hands-on design and testing, manage German suppliers, and drive certification to production readiness with a growing team.

Qualifications

• 10–15 years in mobile/field robotics or high-performance electromechanical systems.
• Experience owning mechanical architecture decisions, not just following specs.
• Experience managing suppliers and manufacturing partners, ideally in Germany/Europe.
• Ability to build and scale a team from a small base, hands-on early then hiring.
• High autonomy in a regulated, safety-critical environment.
• Fluent English; professional German is a strong plus.

Responsibilities

• Set the mechanical strategy: architecture, actuators, packaging, materials, trade-offs.
• Hands-on in design, prototyping, and testing, especially with a small team.
• Make make-versus-buy calls and build a supplier base across German industry.
• Define the mechanical certification strategy for ATEX/IECEx from the start.
• Own the mechanical side of assembly and manufacturing partnerships to production readiness.
• Build and lead the mechanical engineering team, defining design reviews and tests.
• Align mechanical and electrical architecture with the Head of Hardware (Electrical) and represent mechanical engineering with leadership and certification bodies.

Skills

Robotics leadership

Supplier management

Team building

Autonomy in safety-critical env

Mechanical architecture decisions

Hands-on design & testing

Fluent English

Job description

Minerva Humanoids builds humanoid robots for the most dangerous jobs on the planet: offshore rigs, refineries, chemical plants, bomb disposal, and hazardous substance decontamination. Our robots operate in explosive atmospheres and extreme temperatures, so the mechanical platform has to be robust, serviceable, and certifiable from day one.

We are building our German entity from zero in southern Germany, close to the supply base, the certification bodies, and the test infrastructure. As Head of Hardware (Mechanical), you own the mechanical platform end to end. You are not inheriting an architecture or a team: you set the strategy, make the calls that shape everything downstream, and build the team that executes on them. You will work directly with the CEO, CTO, Managing Director Germany, and Head of Hardware (Electrical).

What you'll do

About the role

Minerva Humanoids builds humanoid robots for the most dangerous jobs on the planet: offshore rigs, refineries, chemical plants, bomb disposal, and hazardous substance decontamination. Our robots operate in explosive atmospheres and extreme temperatures, so the mechanical platform has to be robust, serviceable, and certifiable from day one.

We are building our German entity from zero in southern Germany, close to the supply base, the certification bodies, and the test infrastructure. As Head of Hardware (Mechanical), you own the mechanical platform end to end. You are not inheriting an architecture or a team: you set the strategy, make the calls that shape everything downstream, and build the team that executes on them. You will work directly with the CEO, CTO, Managing Director Germany, and Head of Hardware (Electrical).

What you'll do

• Set the mechanical strategy: structural architecture, actuator integration, packaging, materials, and the trade-offs between weight, ruggedness, serviceability, and cost.
• Work hands-on in design, prototyping, and testing, especially while the team is small.
• Make make-versus-buy calls and build the supplier base across German industry, from qualification to ongoing management.
• Define the mechanical certification strategy for hazardous environments (ATEX, IECEx) and design for certification from the start.
• Own the mechanical side of our assembly and manufacturing partnerships through to production readiness.
• Build and lead the mechanical engineering team, and set how it designs, reviews, tests, and iterates.
• Align mechanical and electrical architecture with the Head of Hardware (Electrical), and represent mechanical engineering with leadership, partners, and certification bodies.

What you'll bring

• 10 to 15 years in mobile or field robotics or high-performance electromechanical systems, ideally having shipped a complex physical product from concept to field deployment.
• A track record of owning mechanical architecture decisions, not executing someone else's specification.
• Experience managing suppliers and manufacturing partners, ideally in the German or European industrial base.
• The ability to build a team from a small base: hands-on early, then hiring and growing engineers as the team scales.
• High autonomy and comfort in a regulated, safety-critical environment.
• Fluent English; professional German is a strong plus.

Nice to have

• ATEX, IECEx, or comparable certification experience.
• Design experience for harsh environments: offshore, chemical, high-temperature.
• Exposure to the automotive, aerospace, or industrial supply base in southern Germany.

Compensation and benefits

We believe that those working on life-saving missions should share in the success of that mission.

• Very competitive base salary.
• Significant equity in Minerva Humanoids.