Forward Deployed Robotics Engineer

Insight Recruitment; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Insight Recruitment collaborates with a fast-growing Embodied AI startup in the Boston area to hire a Forward Deployed Robotics Engineer. You will deploy and support robotic manipulation systems, lead customer demonstrations and contribute to simulation and testing.

You will work hands-on with robotics hardware and software, communicating with customers, and traveling internationally as needed. A degree in robotics or related fields and 2+ years of robotics experience are preferred.

Qualifications

• Degree in Robotics, Mechatronics, Engineering or related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 2+ years’ hands-on experience in robotics engineering, deployments or troubleshooting.
• Proficiency in Python scripting, log analysis and diagnostic tooling.
• Strong understanding of robotic systems, sensors and calibration.
• Experience with ROS/ROS 2, Linux, Docker and related protocols.
• Excellent communication and ability to travel internationally.

Responsibilities

• Lead on-site deployments, configurations and technical demonstrations with customers.
• Configure and troubleshoot robotic arms, grippers, cameras and hardware across deployment environments.
• Investigate failures, reproduce issues and identify root causes using logs and telemetry.
• Support testing in simulation and warehouse-like environments to validate capabilities.
• Collaborate with robotics, hardware and software teams to resolve challenges and feed insights into development.
• Develop Python scripts and diagnostic tools to improve deployment efficiency and reliability.

Skills

Python scripting

Log analysis

Diagnostic tooling

Excellent communication

Independent work

Education

Degree in Robotics or related field

Tools

ROS/ROS 2

Linux

Docker

Job description

Location:

Boston area, Massachusetts

Salary:

$140–200k + equity | 50%+ travel

About the Opportunity

We’re partnering with a fast-growing Embodied AI start-up developing intelligent robotic systems designed to perform complex physical tasks in real-world environments. Backed by $150M in Series A funding, the company is moving cutting-edge robotic manipulation technology from research into real-world customer deployments.

This is an opportunity to join a growing team at an exciting stage of its development, working alongside experienced robotics engineers and researchers to bring next-generation robotic intelligence into practical applications. With exposure to customer deployments, technical demonstrations, robotics integration and simulation, you’ll have the opportunity to broaden your engineering skill set, take ownership of complex challenges and grow alongside the business.

The Role

As a Forward Deployed Robotics Engineer, you’ll work across three core areas: customer deployments and demonstrations, hands-on robotics engineering, and simulation and testing.

You’ll take ownership of deploying and supporting robotic manipulation systems, working directly with customers to understand operational requirements, lead technical demonstrations and troubleshoot issues in the field.

Alongside customer-facing work, you’ll integrate robotic arms, grippers and cameras, analyse system performance and develop diagnostic tools. You’ll also contribute to simulation and warehouse-style testing environments, helping validate robotic capabilities, reproduce failures and improve reliability before and during deployment.

The role offers a varied mix of practical engineering, customer interaction and technical problem-solving, with opportunities to work closely with internal engineering teams and influence the development of real-world robotic systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Customer Deployments & Demonstrations: Lead on-site deployments, system configuration and technical demonstrations, working directly with customers to support successful implementation.
• Robotics Integration & Troubleshooting: Configure and troubleshoot robotic arms, grippers, cameras and supporting hardware across physical deployment environments.
• Diagnostics & Root-Cause Analysis: Investigate system failures, reproduce issues and identify root causes across hardware and software using logs, telemetry and sensor data.
• Simulation & Warehouse Testing: Support testing and validation in simulation and representative warehouse environments, helping assess robotic performance and reproduce real-world scenarios.
• Engineering Collaboration: Work with robotics, hardware and software teams to resolve technical challenges and feed deployment insights back into product development.
• Tooling & Process Improvement: Develop Python scripts, diagnostic tools, calibration routines and repeatable testing procedures to improve deployment efficiency and system reliability.
• Field Operations & Ownership: Manage technical activities independently, maintain documentation, support reliable handovers and travel to customer sites internationally.

Key Skills & Experience

• Degree in Robotics, Mechatronics, Engineering or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 2+ years’ hands-on experience in robotics engineering, technical deployments, hardware/software integration or troubleshooting complex systems.
• Proficiency in Python scripting, debugging, log analysis and diagnostic tooling.
• Strong understanding of robotic systems, including hardware integration, sensors and calibration.
• Familiarity with ROS/ROS 2, Linux, Docker and relevant robotics communication protocols.
• Experience with robotic arms, manipulation systems, simulation environments or learning-based robotics, including reinforcement learning or imitation learning, is advantageous.
• Excellent communication and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work directly with customers, lead technical activities independently and travel internationally.

Interested?

If you enjoy hands-on robotics engineering, solving complex technical challenges and working at the intersection of hardware, software and Embodied AI, we’d love to hear from you.

This is an opportunity to build experience across customer‑facing engineering, real-world robotics deployments and simulation, while taking on meaningful responsibility as the company grows.