Robotics Test & Debug Engineer

Tutor; Watertown (MA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Tutor is hiring a Robotics Test & Debug Engineer to ensure every robot from our Watertown production line operates flawlessly. You will diagnose root causes on failing robots, design subassembly fixtures, and build hardware-in-the-loop rigs to catch issues early.

You’ll also develop Python test sequences, log results to ION, and push improvements that reduce recurring failures while collaborating with technicians on the factory floor.

Qualifications

• BS in Electrical, Mechanical, Computer or Mechatronics Engineering.
• Hands-on root-cause debug of robots or electromechanical systems.
• You've built test fixtures, bench rigs or HIL systems that others used.
• Python for test automation and data analysis.
• Strong electrical skills: schematics, scopes, meters, CAN.
• Comfortable on the production floor, working alongside technicians.

Responsibilities

• Robot debug: identify root causes on failing robots and subassemblies.
• Design subassembly fixtures and hardware-in-the-loop rigs.
• Factory acceptance testing: build the end-of-line test every robot passes before it ships.
• Test automation: write Python test sequences, with results logged to ION and our internal platform.
• Closing the loop: turn recurring failures into new tests and process fixes.

Skills

Root-cause debugging

Test fixtures

Bench rigs

HIL systems

Python for testing

Electrical skills

Production floor

Education

Engineering degree

Tools

ION platform

Job description

About Tutor

We believe robots are the biggest lever we have to making the physical world a better, more affordable place. But robots are a rounding error in our society: nearly nine out of ten American factories and warehouses don’t even have a single robot, and robots have yet to make their way into our homes or places of business.

About Tutor

We believe robots are the biggest lever we have to making the physical world a better, more affordable place. But robots are a rounding error in our society: nearly nine out of ten American factories and warehouses don’t even have a single robot, and robots have yet to make their way into our homes or places of business.

Tutor Intelligence is changing that.

Tutor is a robotics research and deployment company, building generally capable robot hardware and artificial intelligence to enable robots to go where no robots have gone before. Our robots range from a semi-humanoid with frontier dexterity approaching the human form to workhorses that do back-breaking work, moving boxes, pallets, and bulk goods for businesses from family-owned manufacturers to some of the largest brands in the world. Tutor robots are manufactured at scale and operate as a network, combining the whole fleet’s learned experience to train ever more capable robot artificial intelligence.

Founded at MIT and headquartered in Watertown, MA, our team is full stack: we design and manufacture robot hardware, train our own models, work directly with the smallest and largest end-customers, and maintain our fleet across the United States. We're a team of researchers, engineers, technicians, operators, and sellers who love building things and solving hard problems.

Our mission is grand: robots everywhere, for the common good, raising the standard of living across North America, and then the world.

The Role

Our semi-humanoid robot moves into production in early 2027.

We're hiring a Robotics Test & Debug Engineer to make sure every robot that leaves our Watertown factory works.

You'll be the production team's first line of defense: when a robot fails, you find the root cause and fix it. You'll also build the test platforms that catch failures early.

What You'll Own

• Robot debug: take failing robots and subassemblies to root cause
• First line of defense: resolve floor issues fast and elevate design problems with clear data
• Bench testing: design subassembly fixtures and hardware-in-the-loop rigs
• Factory acceptance testing: build the end-of-line test every robot passes before it ships
• Test automation: write Python test sequences, with results logged to ION and our internal platform
• Closing the loop: turn recurring failures into new tests and process fixes

Your First Year

• Bench tests live for our next-generation robot's critical subassemblies before the 2027 ramp
• An automated FAT that every robot passes, with results traced to serial number
• Most floor issues resolved within Production Engineering, without an Engineering escalation
• Recurring failures trending down month over month

What You Bring

• BS in Electrical, Mechanical, Computer or Mechatronics Engineering
• Hands-on root-cause debug of robots or electromechanical systems
• You've built test fixtures, bench rigs or HIL systems that others used
• Python for test automation and data analysis
• Strong electrical skills: schematics, scopes, meters, CAN
• Comfortable on the production floor, working alongside technicians

Nice to Have

• Experience bringing a new robot or hardware product into production
• Humanoid, mobile robot or robot arm experience
• Embedded firmware or Linux experience
• MES/PLM experience (ION or similar)
• Daily use of AI tools like Claude to build tools and analyze data

Why Tutor?

Whether you’re designing robots, closing deals, running deployments, or creating the processes that help us scale, your work doesn’t sit on a shelf. It shows up on real production floors, making physical work safer and more affordable.

Our team is driven by curiosity and a genuine love of building. Everyone here takes real ownership, learns fast, and holds a high bar while having each other’s backs. If you love hard problems and creating things that didn’t exist before, you’ll fit right in.

Exempt, full-time, on-site in Watertown, MA. Final pay within the range is based on experience and skills.