Head of Hardware

Andromeda; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 225,000 - 315,000; Full time

Job summary

Andromeda is seeking a Head of Hardware in San Francisco to lead the hardware organisation, overseeing mechanical, electrical, systems, reliability, and manufacturing engineering. You will drive architecture decisions, build a high-performing team, and ensure robust hardware production from prototype to scalable manufacturing.

The role requires 7+ years in robotics or complex electromechanical products, experience managing JDM/ODM/CM partners, and strong leadership with cross-functional

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in robotics or complex electromechanical products.
• Experience leading a hardware program from early architecture through prototype, validation, and scale manufacturing in a startup or fast-moving environment.
• Experience working with and managing JDM, ODM, and CM partners through design, ramp, and production.
• Experience working with supply chain to select key suppliers and components with strong judgment across cost, reliability, lead time, and manufacturability.
• Experience diagnosing and resolving field reliability, quality, and performance issues in shipped hardware systems.
• Strong leadership capability, including setting direction, building high-performing teams, driving accountability, and developing other leaders.
• Strong technical judgment in complex mechatronic systems, with the ability to guide architecture, make pragmatic trade-offs, and operate effectively under ambiguity.
• Clear communication and stakeholder management skills, including comfort representing the hardware function with executives, partners, and cross-functional teams.
• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or a related field

Responsibilities

• Own hardware strategy, roadmap, and execution required to take new versions of Abi from prototype through reliable, scalable manufacturing.
• Lead day-to-day performance across mechanical, electrical, systems, reliability, quality, manufacturing engineering, and external hardware partners to deliver robust, manufacturable products.
• Make key technical and program trade-offs across performance, cost, schedule, reliability, and manufacturability that determine product success.
• Manage the operating cadence, decision-making quality, and cross-functional alignment needed for hardware, software, AI, design, safety, supply chain, and manufacturing to move in lockstep.
• Own and evolve the external partner strategy, including how Andromeda works with design and manufacturing partners (CM/ODM/JDM) during design, validation, ramp, and production.
• Build and lead a strong multidisciplinary hardware team by setting clear expectations, coaching engineers and leads, and setting the team's operating rhythm, technical quality bar, and execution discipline.
• Drive tight cross-functional collaboration across hardware, software, AI, design, safety, reliability, supply chain, manufacturing, finance, and commercial teams.
• Ensure strong prototyping, validation, test fixture development, and issue resolution processes across the hardware lifecycle.
• Represent the hardware organisation with executives and other stakeholders, bringing clear judgment and crisp communication to key product and business decisions.

Skills

Robotics leadership

Hardware program mgmt

Partner management

Supply chain planning

Field reliability

Cross-functional leadership

Architecture judgement

Stakeholder management

Mechatronics knowledge

Education

Bachelor's in Electrical/Mechanical Engineering

Tools

CAD tools

Test equipment

Job description

The Bigger Picture

At Andromeda, we're building the social intelligence layer for humanoid robots - technology that allows robots to understand people, build relationships and become a meaningful part of everyday life.

The Bigger Picture

At Andromeda, we're building the social intelligence layer for humanoid robots - technology that allows robots to understand people, build relationships and become a meaningful part of everyday life.

Our first robot, Abi, is already doing this in aged care and healthcare, where she brings conversation, companionship and engagement to people every day.

Now we're scaling from early deployments into a platform that can operate across thousands of real-world environments. We're looking for individuals who want to tackle hard problems across robotics and AI, and help define what it means for robots to live and interact alongside people.

With deployments already underway across leading care providers and backing from investors including Forerunner and Main Sequence, we're entering the next phase of growth. We're looking for leaders who want to solve some of the hardest problems in robotics and AI, and build technology that has a meaningful impact on people's lives.

The Role

As Head of Hardware, you will lead Andromeda Robotics' hardware organisation and own the strategy, execution, and operating cadence required to take new versions of Abi from prototype through reliable, scalable manufacturing.

You will oversee the responsibilities and teams spanning mechanical, electrical, systems, reliability, quality, manufacturing engineering, and external manufacturing partners, making key trade-offs across performance, cost, schedule, and manufacturability that determine product success.

This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who can guide architecture and technical decisions, build a high-performing multidisciplinary team, and deliver robust hardware systems in the real world and at production scale.

A note on our process: This is a highly specialised leadership hire, and while we have a clear sense of the outcomes we need, we expect our conversations with strong candidates to help sharpen the final shape of the role and where this leader can create the most impact.

Requirements

Key Responsibilities

• Own the hardware strategy, roadmap, and execution required to take new versions of Abi from prototype through reliable, scalable manufacturing
• Lead day-to-day performance across mechanical, electrical, systems, reliability, quality, manufacturing engineering, and external hardware partners to deliver robust, manufacturable products
• Make key technical and program trade-offs across performance, cost, schedule, reliability, and manufacturability that determine product success
• Manage the operating cadence, decision‑making quality, and cross‑functional alignment needed for hardware, software, AI, design, safety, supply chain, and manufacturing to move in lockstep
• Own and evolve the external partner strategy, including how Andromeda works with design and manufacturing partners (CM/ODM/JDM) during design, validation, ramp, and production
• Build and lead a strong multidisciplinary hardware team by setting clear expectations, coaching engineers and leads, and setting the team's operating rhythm, technical quality bar, and execution discipline
• Drive tight cross‑functional collaboration across hardware, software, AI, design, safety, reliability, supply chain, manufacturing, finance, and commercial teams
• Ensure strong prototyping, validation, test fixture development, and issue resolution processes across the hardware lifecycle
• Represent the hardware organisation with executives and other stakeholders, bringing clear judgment and crisp communication to key product and business decisions

Skills & Experience Required

• 7+ years of experience in robotics or other complex electromechanical products, such as drones, automotive, or similar motion-based systems
• Experience leading a hardware program from early architecture through prototype, validation, and scale manufacturing in a startup or other fast-moving environment
• Experience working with and managing JDM, ODM, and CM partners through design, ramp, and production
• Experience working with supply chain to select key suppliers and components with strong judgment across cost, reliability, lead time, and manufacturability
• Experience diagnosing and resolving field reliability, quality, and performance issues in shipped hardware systems
• Strong leadership capability, including setting direction, building high‑performing teams, driving accountability, and developing other leaders
• Strong technical judgment in complex mechatronic systems, with the ability to guide architecture, make pragmatic trade-offs, and operate effectively under ambiguity
• Clear communication and stakeholder management skills, including comfort representing the hardware function with executives, partners, and cross‑functional teams
• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or a related field

Bonus Points

• Experience in humanoid robotics, consumer robotics, defence tech, or startup automotive environments
• Experience with complex mechatronic systems that combine mechanical, electrical, embedded, and systems-level integration

Benefits

The expected base salary range for this role is $225,000 - $315,000 USD. Actual compensation will be determined by a variety of factors, including the candidate's job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

If you're excited about this role but don't meet every requirement, that's okay; we still encourage you to apply.

At Andromeda Robotics, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Let's build the future together.