Hardware R&D Tech Lead

Diligent Robotics; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Diligent Robotics' Hardware R&D Technical Lead oversees the HQ team responsible for provisioning, building, testing, quality-checking, and shipping hardware for Moxi robots used in hospitals. This role ensures the HQ keeps pace as the fleet scales toward hundreds of units.

You will lead cross-functional efforts across engineering, manufacturing, and service operations, enforce rigorous QC, and drive continuous improvement in testing and deployment workflows at our Austin, TX HQ.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of hands-on work with electromechanical or robotics hardware, such as building, repairing, testing or field service.
• 2+ years leading technicians directly, including hiring, coaching and managing performance.
• Strong electrical troubleshooting on low-voltage DC systems, batteries, chargers and wiring harnesses, using a multimeter and reading schematics.
• Experience running a test, QC or build process with written procedures and recorded results.
• Clear, direct written and verbal communication with technicians, engineers and leadership.
• Able to balance competing priorities and say what will slip and why.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the HQ hardware R&D team with clear expectations, feedback and performance reviews.
• Coordinate staffing and capacity planning to align with fleet and project needs.
• Maintain a prioritized backlog and ensure work is documented and handed off in writing.
• Collaborate with engineering and manufacturing on test plans, quality checks and retrofits.

Skills

Robotics hardware

Team leadership

Electrical troubleshooting

Test/QA processes

Communication

Prioritization

Tools

MaintainX CMMS

Job description

The Hardware R&D Technical Lead runs the HQ team that keeps Moxi robots in hospitals working. The team provisions, builds, tests, quality-checks and ships what the field needs.

Diligent Robotics deploys Moxi, a mobile service robot, in hospitals across the US. The operating fleet is growing from about 70 robots today to about 200 by the end of 2027, mostly next-generation Moxi units at new hospital sites. This role makes sure HQ keeps pace.

The team's mission is the same as all of Service Operations: 95% overall monthly robot uptime, timely delivery of assigned objectives, and continuous improvement mindset for all systems and processes.

Responsibilities

Lead and develop the team

• Hold weekly 1:1s and give every role written expectations and clear measures.
• Coach, give direct feedback, run performance reviews, and address performance issues early, with HR.
• Cross-train the team so no task depends on one person.
• Build a culture of ownership: confirm work is done, close every loop, and hand off in writing.

Keep staffing matched to the fleet

• Track workload across provisioning, builds, QC, refurbishment and parts shipping, and spot capacity gaps before they cause delays.
• Forecast headcount with the Head of Service Operations as the fleet grows, then hire and onboard to plan.
• Plan coverage for time off, on-call rotations and build surges.

Keep the team aligned on priorities

• Own the team's charter and intake for requests from field service, engineering and manufacturing.
• Keep a single prioritized backlog and make trade-offs visible early.
• Join the daily field service stand-up, and publish a weekly status: done, in progress, blocked, decisions needed.

Coordinate testing with engineering

• Plan and run hardware tests and validation with the hardware, software and reliability engineering teams, such as docking, charging, battery, thermal and endurance testing.
• Schedule HQ test robots, make sure results are recorded and shared, and pilot retrofits before they go to the fleet.
• Support root-cause analysis on repeat field failures.
• Oversee robot and base provisioning, builds, refurbishment and returns.
• Own the QC gate so parts and robots ship complete to hospital sites and to manufacturing.
• Make sure parts ship the same day, and keep work instructions and repair procedures current.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of hands-on work with electromechanical or robotics hardware, such as building, repairing, testing or field service.
• 2+ years leading technicians directly, including hiring, coaching and managing performance.
• Strong electrical troubleshooting on low-voltage DC systems, batteries, chargers and wiring harnesses, using a multimeter and reading schematics.
• Experience running a test, QC or build process with written procedures and recorded results.
• Clear, direct written and verbal communication with technicians, engineers and leadership.
• Able to balance competing priorities and say what will slip and why.

What Makes You Stand Out

• Familiarity with MaintainX or a similar maintenance management system (CMMS).
• Experience working with contract manufacturers on builds, quality issues and returns.
• Background with mobile robots, AMRs or other autonomous machines.
• Experience with lithium battery systems and charging, LiFePO4 in particular.
• Lean or 5S shop practices, or experience in a regulated environment such as healthcare.

Working conditions

• Full-time and on-site at our Austin, TX headquarters, working in a hardware shop and office setting.
• Up to 10% travel to hospital sites and manufacturing partners.
• Regularly lift and move components up to 50 lb, and stand for long periods during builds and testing.
• Occasional after-hours support when robots are down.