Hardware Test Lead

Maven Robotics, Inc.; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Maven Robotics designs, builds, and deploys intelligent robotics for logistics and manufacturing, delivering industrial-grade reliability. This role owns hardware testing from strategy to fixture design, executing functional and safety tests across subsystems and full robots.

You will collaborate with engineering teams to translate test data into actionable product design improvements and ensure compliance with robotics safety standards in a fast-paced startup environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of hardware testing experience.
• BS in mechanical engineering, robotics, mechatronics, systems engineering, or related field.
• Experience with design verification plans and functional test procedures.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Experience with test instrumentation and data logging equipment.
• Knowledge of machine safety standards.

Responsibilities

• Own the test strategy for robot subsystems and inform testing cadence.
• Design test fixtures and translate data into design recommendations.
• Guide cross-functional teams to build, verify, and execute testing.
• Develop accelerated reliability test plans and correlate data to real-world operations.
• Design safe, reliable testing fixtures and environments for continuous operation.
• Plan and execute certified safety testing under regulatory oversight.

Skills

Hardware testing

Data logging

Instrumentation setup

Regulatory safety

Communication

Self-starter

Startup environment

Test fixture design

Education

Bachelor's in mechanical engineering / robotics / mechatronics

Tools

Python scripting

FEA tools

Job description

Maven Robotics designs, builds, and deploys intelligent robotics for logistics and manufacturing. Maven is building the first general-purpose robotics system for industrial work. Our mission is to activate autonomous labor at scale and build toward infinitely elastic industrial capacity. We’re a team of engineers, researchers, and operators who have spent our careers working on the hardest problems in AI, robotics, engineering, and autonomous systems. We work at the intersection of advanced research and real-world engineering, turning ideas into prototypes and deployed systems.

At Maven, we build around the realities of industrial work. The robots are designed from first principles for complex physical environments and rigorous commercial standards. They master real tasks that deliver immediate impact, industrial-grade reliability, and intelligence that compounds at scale. We’re growing an ambitious team of people who think in systems, move quickly, and are builders at heart.

About the Role

In this role, you will own hardware testing at Maven from high-level test strategy development through fixture design and test execution. You will work collaboratively with other teams to define, architect, and execute hardware tests at the subsystem and full-robot level. Hardware testing will include design verification, functional and reliability testing, life and environmental testing, and safety verification.

What You’ll Do

• Own the test strategy for robot subsystems. Work with the product development team to define what needs to be tested, why, and at what cadence
• Take test plans and fixtures from concept through execution. Design the test fixture hardware and translate data into recommendations to improve product design
• Guide cross-functional engineering and technical efforts to build, verify, and execute testing
• Develop accelerated reliability test plans and methods to correlate the resulting data to real-world operations
• Design safe and reliable testing fixtures and test environments that can run continuously with minimal intervention
• Plan, build, and execute certified safety testing. Perform tests under the supervision of regulatory bodies for robotics safety standards, demonstrating safety for new product launches

What We’re Looking For

• 5+ years of experience in hardware testing
• BS in mechanical engineering, robotics, mechatronics, systems engineering, or similar field
• Experience in developing functional specifications, design verification plans and functional test procedures
• The ability to communicate technical concepts to a non-technical audience
• Understanding of machine safety or functional safety standards
• Experience setting up test instrumentation and data logging equipment
• Self-starter attitude with strong ability to identify problems, prioritize them, then plan and execute working solutions
• Enthusiasm for working in a fast paced startup environment and eagerness to support the team on a variety of topics

Nice to Have

• 10+ years of experience in hardware testing
• MS in mechanical engineering, robotics, mechatronics, systems engineering, or similar field
• Experience as a mentor, tech lead or engineering team lead
• Solid understanding of failure mechanics, stress analysis, and common FEA tools
• Scripting experience in Python, MATLAB, or a similar language

Maven Robotics is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

As set forth in Maven Robotics’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.