SVP of Engineering

Bonsai Robotics; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 275,000; Full time

Job summary

Bonsai Robotics is seeking an exceptional SVP of Engineering to lead its engineering organization, spanning software and hardware and autonomy. This senior leader will translate vision into execution, build teams and processes to scale the autonomy platform and vehicle programs, and partner with product, operations, and GTM leaders.

You will drive architecture, resource allocation, budgets, and milestones, foster collaboration across software and hardware, and represent engineering at the

Qualifications

• 15+ years of engineering experience leading software and hardware teams.
• Experience delivering complex robotics products from concept to deployment.
• Strong leadership across hardware, autonomy, AI, and platform engineering.

Responsibilities

• Lead the overall engineering strategy across software, hardware, autonomy, AI, applications, and platform development.
• Mentor and scale a multidisciplinary engineering organization.
• Own engineering execution with architecture, roadmaps, staffing, budgets, and milestones.
• Collaborate with product, operations, business development, and executives to deliver technical strategy.
• Drive integrated hardware and software systems for autonomous platforms with emphasis on performance and safety.
• Ensure rigorous architecture, development practices, validation, and release readiness across engineering functions.
• Establish operating rhythms, planning processes, and metrics to improve predictability and speed.
• Oversee resource allocation and investments, balancing near-term delivery with long-term platform strategy.
• Foster collaboration between software and hardware to build cohesive products.
• Represent engineering at the executive level and communicate status, risks, and tradeoffs.
• Support field deployments and customer escalations to ensure product outcomes.
• Guide organizational design, leadership development, and succession planning.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Systems engineering

Robotics

Autonomy platforms

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree

Engineering

Computer Science

Robotics

Electrical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Systems Engineering

Job description

About the role

We are seeking an exceptional SVP of Engineering to lead the full engineering organization at Bonsai Robotics, spanning both software and hardware. This senior role will be responsible for translating engineering vision into execution across a multidisciplinary organization, and building the systems, teams, and processes needed to scale our autonomy platform and vehicle programs. Reporting into executive company leadership, the SVP of Engineering will partner closely with product, operations, and go-to-market leaders to translate business priorities into technical roadmaps and delivered outcomes.

What you'll do

• Lead the execution of the overall engineering strategy for Bonsai Robotics across software, hardware, autonomy, AI, applications, and platform development.
• Lead, mentor, and scale a high-performing multidisciplinary engineering organization, fostering accountability, collaboration, and technical excellence.
• Own engineering execution across the company, ensuring alignment of architecture, roadmaps, staffing, budgets, and milestones with company priorities.
• Partner closely with product, operations, business development, and executive leadership to deliver the technical strategy required to support customers, partners, and internal programs.
• Drive the development of integrated hardware and software systems for autonomous off-road platforms, ensuring performance, reliability, safety, and manufacturability.
• Ensure proper technical rigor in system architecture, development practices, validation, release readiness, and root cause analysis across all engineering functions.
• Establish operating mechanisms, planning processes, and metrics that improve predictability, cross-functional coordination, and speed of execution.
• Oversee engineering resource allocation and investment decisions, balancing near-term delivery needs with long-term platform strategy.
• Champion strong collaboration between software and hardware teams so systems are developed as cohesive products rather than isolated functions.
• Represent engineering at the executive level, clearly communicating status, risks, tradeoffs, and strategic recommendations.
• Support field deployments, customer escalations, and major technical decisions as needed to ensure successful product outcomes.
• Guide organizational design and leadership development across engineering, including succession planning, hiring, performance management, and team health.

Strong Candidates Will Exhibit the Following Key Traits

Education

Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience

15+ years of engineering experience, including substantial leadership of both software and hardware organizations, with a strong track record of building and scaling multidisciplinary teams. Proven success delivering complex products from concept through deployment and commercialization in robotics, autonomous systems, automotive, industrial automation, or related industries.

Technical & Leadership Skills

• Demonstrated success leading, directing and managing engineering leaders across multiple domains, including hardware, autonomy, AI, application development, and platform engineering.
• Strong systems-level understanding of robotics and autonomous products, including the interaction of software, hardware, AI, controls, and field performance.
• Experience establishing engineering operating rhythms, cross-functional planning processes, and execution metrics in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong product and business judgment, with the ability to translate company strategy into clear engineering priorities and organizational decisions.
• Experience with engineering budget planning, headcount management, and tradeoff decisions across multiple product and platform investments.
• Ability to attract, develop, and retain exceptional engineering talent while building a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to influence at the executive, technical, and cross-functional levels.
• Experience leading engineering organizations in startup or growth-stage environments.

Bonus Points For

• Background in off-road autonomy, agriculture, construction, mining, or other demanding field robotics applications.
• Experience delivering integrated autonomy platforms that combine AI, robotics, vehicle systems, and customer-facing software.
• Experience scaling engineering teams through major product transitions, including pilot deployments, production ramp, and platform expansion.
• Track record of building strong engineering leadership benches and succession plans.
• This role is majority on-site at our offices in San Jose and Watsonville, CA.
• Some travel may be required to support customers, partners, field deployments, and key company initiatives.

Bonsai Robotics is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin or nationality, ancestry, age, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status or any other category protected by law.

The pay range for this role is:

200,000 - 275,000 USD per year (San Jose, CA)