Hardware Technician

Gradient Robotics; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Gradient Robotics seeks a hands-on Hardware Technician to be a backbone of how we build and test hardware daily. You will own cross-team workflow, operate 3D printers, and design improvements that move the shop faster.

This role rewards initiative, clear documentation, and strong collaboration across engineering and manufacturing teams. You will work on-site in San Francisco five days a week (six during crunch times), building practical solutions, diagnosing issues, and growing skills in a

Qualifications

• DIY projects or makerspace experience.
• Proficient in CAD.
• Experience diagnosing hardware issues.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines with strong prioritization.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Willingness to take initiative and improve processes.
• Ownership mindset and comfort with ambiguity.
• On-site in San Francisco, 5 days/week (6 during crunch).

Responsibilities

• Own task flow across teams: organize and prioritize incoming work from multiple teams and keep everything moving on schedule.
• Own the 3D printing equipment: operate and maintain printers and keep them running reliably.
• Own your workflow: design projects to optimize how you and your team operate.
• Own documentation: communicate and document test results and data clearly.

Skills

DIY projects

Makerspace experience

CAD

Hardware diagnosis

Prioritization

Communication

Ownership mindset

Initiative

Tools

3D printers

Shop tools

CAD software

Job description

About the Company

The datacenter buildout is the largest industrial project in human history. Gradient builds the autonomous robots that make it possible.

Partnered with the world's largest AI infrastructure companies and backed by the industry's best investors, we move fast and build full-stack systems that matter.

About the role

We're looking for a Hardware Technician to be the backbone of how Gradient Robotics builds and tests hardware day-to-day. This is intentionally a hands-on, high-ownership role. You'll support multiple teams at once while taking real ownership over your own projects and workflow. This is a role for someone who loves making things and making them better: you'll see a bottleneck in how parts get built or tested, design a fix, and document it so the whole team benefits. You'll touch nearly everything that comes through the shop, which means constant learning and room to grow quickly. The impact is significant: you'll keep hardware moving for every team, while building the skills and systems that make the whole shop run faster.

Responsibilities

• Own task flow across teams: organize and prioritize incoming work from multiple teams and keep everything moving on schedule

• Own the 3D printing equipment: operate and maintain various types of printers and keep them running reliably

• Own your workflow: take ownership over your work and design projects that optimize how you and your team operate

• Own documentation: communicate and document test results and data in a clear and concise way

Minimum Qualifications

• Making experience (DIY projects, makerspace experience, etc.)

• Proficiency in CAD

• Experience diagnosing and resolving hardware issues

• Ability to work efficiently under pressure and meet deadlines across multiple projects simultaneously, with strong prioritization skills

• Willingness to take initiative and recognize areas of potential improvement without being asked

• Excellent communication skills

• Commitment to taking every opportunity to learn and develop engineering skills through hands-on experience

• Comfort with ambiguity and a high-ownership mindset

• Able to work on-site in San Francisco 5 days/week (6 days/week if needed during crunch time), embedded in the team

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience at a hardware, robotics, or manufacturing company

• Hands-on experience with a range of shop tools beyond 3D printing

• Comfort using AI tools to multiply your own output