R&D Autonomous Vehicle Technician

Foundation; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Vision insurance

Dental insurance

401k

Job summary

Foundation in San Francisco is seeking a hands-on technician to assemble, install, and maintain mechanical components on electric autonomous ATVs, including suspension, chassis, drivetrain, and enclosures.

You will build and route wiring harnesses from schematics, support sensor, compute, and actuator integration, perform vehicle bring-up and troubleshooting, document builds and inventory, and assist with on-site deployments and field support as needed.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of hands-on experience as a technician in robotics, automotive, electric vehicles, heavy equipment, motorsports, aerospace, or similar hardware fields.
• Strong mechanical assembly skills: torque procedures, bearings, fasteners, drivetrains, suspension, alignment.
• Ability to read mechanical drawings, wiring diagrams, and basic schematics.
• Familiarity with basic electrical systems: 12-48V, DC power distribution, grounding, isolation, and safe HV handling.
• Proficiency using standard shop tools (hand tools, power tools, torque tools, drill press, etc.).

Responsibilities

• Assemble, install, and maintain mechanical components on electric autonomous ATVs.
• Build, route, and terminate wiring harnesses following schematics, drawings, and best practices.
• Perform mechanical fabrication tasks: drilling, cutting, tapping, mounting brackets, basic machining, and fitting custom hardware.
• Support sensor, compute, and actuator integration (cameras, LiDAR, GNSS, ECUs, motor controllers, power electronics).
• Conduct vehicle bring-up, troubleshooting, and rework during prototype builds.
• Diagnose mechanical and electrical issues using standard tools (multimeter, continuity tester, CAN tools).
• Execute test procedures for functional checks, autonomous systems tests, and field shakedowns.
• Maintain detailed documentation of builds, changes, and inventory.
• Keep the shop and vehicle workspace organized, safe, and properly stocked.
• Collaborate closely with mechanical, electrical, and software engineers to rapidly iterate on designs.
• Assist with on-site deployments, demos, and field support as needed

Skills

Robotics assembly

Reading schematics

Team collaboration

Electrical safety HV handling

Education

Technical diploma or equivalent

Tools

Drill press

Torque tools

Multimeter

CAN tools

Job description

Why We Are Hiring for This Role:

• Assemble, install, and maintain mechanical components on electric autonomous ATVs, including suspension, chassis, drivetrain, and enclosures.
• Build, route, and terminate wiring harnesses (low-voltage and high-voltage) following schematics, drawings, and best practices.
• Perform mechanical fabrication tasks: drilling, cutting, tapping, mounting brackets, basic machining, and fitting custom hardware.
• Support sensor, compute, and actuator integration (cameras, LiDAR, GNSS, ECUs, motor controllers, power electronics).
• Conduct vehicle bring-up, troubleshooting, and rework during prototype builds.
• Diagnose mechanical and electrical issues using standard tools (multimeter, continuity tester, CAN tools).
• Execute test procedures for functional checks, autonomous systems tests, and field shakedowns.
• Maintain detailed documentation of builds, changes, and inventory.
• Keep the shop and vehicle workspace organized, safe, and properly stocked.
• Collaborate closely with mechanical, electrical, and software engineers to rapidly iterate on designs.
• Assist with on-site deployments, demos, and field support as needed

What Kind of Person We Are Looking For:

• 3-5 years of hands-on experience as a technician in robotics, automotive, electric vehicles, heavy equipment, motorsports, aerospace, or similar hardware fields.
• Strong mechanical assembly skills: torque procedures, bearings, fasteners, drivetrains, suspension, alignment.
• Ability to read mechanical drawings, wiring diagrams, and basic schematics.
• Familiarity with basic electrical systems: 12-48V, DC power distribution, grounding, isolation, and safe HV handling.
• Proficiency using standard shop tools (hand tools, power tools, torque tools, drill press, etc.).

Benefits

We provide market standard benefits (health, vision, dental, 401k, etc.). Join us for the culture and the mission, not for the benefits.

Salary

The annual compensation is expected to be between $85,000 - $110,000. Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and location.