Head of Hardware Engineering

Chef Robotics, Inc.; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 220,000 - 340,000; Full time

Job summary

Chef Robotics, Inc. is seeking a Head of Hardware to own system architecture for a next-generation platform and lead a hands-on team of mechanical engineers and technicians.

You will translate prototypes into scalable, reliable hardware that supports enterprise-scale deployments. You will collaborate with software, autonomy, and application teams to accelerate delivery, implement DFMA and ruggedized design for wash-down environments, and push aggressive BOM cost reductions while maintaining

Qualifications

• 10+ years of hardware engineering experience, with at least 5 years in a leadership role (Director or VP level) at a robotics or complex electromechanical systems company.
• Demonstrated success taking a product from low-volume "lab" production to high-volume manufacturing via Tier-1 CMs.
• Deep expertise in mechatronics, motion control, and ruggedized system design — built to survive daily wash-down and food-grade duty cycles, not just a demo floor.
• Experience managing complex BOMs and driving significant cost reductions without compromising quality.

Responsibilities

• Own hardware architecture and system definition for our next-generation system built for higher-throughput, enterprise-scale deployments.
• Lead the transition from producing 2-3 units a week to a high-volume operation, with a target of 100+ robots deployed by year-end.
• Partner with contract manufacturers and manage our global supply chain to aggressively reduce BOM costs and lead times — in service of the same off-the-shelf-first philosophy that already gives us some of the strongest gross margins in robotics.
• Work hand-in-glove with the Heads of Software, Autonomy, and Application Engineering — hardware decisions here ship real customer-facing capabilities, and tight integration plus data-driven prioritization is how we keep moving faster than anyone else in the industry.
• Implement rigorous DFM/DFA standards built for reality: robots running 12+ hours a day, 6 days a week, in wash-down, food-grade kitchen environments where reliability isn't a nice-to-have — it's the entire business model.
• Build and mentor a high-performing, hands-on team — one that roots problems out to the actual physics of what broke, takes ownership without being asked, and moves with urgency because customers are counting on us every single shift.

Skills

Hardware leadership

Mechatronics

Motion control

BOM management

Ruggedized design

Job description

We're hiring a Head of Hardware, to join our senior leadership team and take direct ownership of the strategy that gets us from "we can build it in the shop" to "we can build hundreds of these, on schedule, without breaking." You'll own system architecture for our next-generation system, and you'll build and lead the team of mechanical engineers and manufacturing technicians who bring it to life — hands-on, in a culture that ships fast and doesn't hide from a hard failure mode.

What You'll Do

• Own hardware architecture and system definition for our next-generation system built for higher-throughput, enterprise-scale deployments.
• Lead the transition from producing 2-3 units a week to a high-volume operation, with a target of 100+ robots deployed by year-end.
• Partner with contract manufacturers and manage our global supply chain to aggressively reduce BOM costs and lead times — in service of the same off-the-shelf-first philosophy that already gives us some of the strongest gross margins in robotics.
• Work hand-in-glove with the Heads of Software, Autonomy, and Application Engineering — hardware decisions here ship real customer-facing capabilities, and tight integration plus data-driven prioritization is how we keep moving faster than anyone else in the industry.
• Implement rigorous DFM/DFA standards built for reality: robots running 12+ hours a day, 6 days a week, in wash-down, food-grade kitchen environments where reliability isn\'t a nice-to-have — it\'s the entire business model.
• Build and mentor a high-performing, hands-on team — one that roots problems out to the actual physics of what broke, takes ownership without being asked, and moves with urgency because customers are counting on us every single shift.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of hardware engineering experience, with at least 5 years in a leadership role (Director or VP level) at a robotics or complex electromechanical systems company.
• Demonstrated success taking a product from low-volume "lab" production to high-volume manufacturing via Tier-1 CMs.
• Deep expertise in mechatronics, motion control, and ruggedized system design — built to survive daily wash-down and food-grade duty cycles, not just a demo floor.
• Experience managing complex BOMs and driving significant cost reductions without compromising quality.

Nice-to-Haves

• Experience in food-tech or industrial automation.
• Knowledge of regulatory certifications (UL, CE, NSF) for commercial kitchen equipment.
• Background in a high-growth, venture-backed startup environment.