Lab Tech Lead

Lab Tech Lead

Fully onsite in Boston, MA

Candidate Summary
A Day in the Life
The morning starts with a hardware bring-up session - a new actuator module arrived yesterday and you're
running through the initial power sequencing and communication validation before handing it over to the
robotics engineers. You hit a CAN bus timing issue, dig into the logic analyzer trace, find a firmware
configuration mismatch, and document the fix so it doesn't happen again on the next unit. After lunch you're in
a design review with two hardware engineers, walking through the test plan for an upcoming environmental
stress campaign and pushing back on one of the acceptance criteria that you think is too loose based on what
you've seen from previous builds. Late afternoon is test bench time - you're instrumenting a new bench for a
six-axis force/torque characterization run that's scheduled to kick off next week. You wrap up by updating the
build log and dropping a note in the team channel about the CAN issue so everyone's aware.

Description :

This isn't a traditional lab technician role, and we want to be upfront about that from the start. We're looking for

someone who can own technical execution end-to-end - who doesn't just follow test plans but writes them,

doesn't just build test benches but designs them, and doesn't just escalate problems but solves them. If you're

the kind of engineer who's happiest when you're equally comfortable reading a schematic and turning a wrench,

this role was written for you.

You'll be embedded on a team doing foundational work in physical AI - building and validating hardware

systems for next-generation robotic platforms. The work spans electrical bring-up, mechanical integration,

reliability testing, and everything in between. You'll work directly with hardware engineers, AI researchers, and

lab operations to make sure builds go smoothly and test results are trustworthy.

Responsibilities :

Test Bench Build & Execution

Design, build, and operate test benches for prototype robotic hardware - including power systems,

motion actuation, sensor arrays, and communication interfaces.

Develop test plans and acceptance criteria in partnership with hardware engineers; own execution of

those tests and documentation of results.

Build custom fixtures, jigs, and test setups for hardware validation - combining mechanical fabrication,

electrical wiring, and software scripting as needed.

Operate and maintain diagnostic equipment including oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, multimeters, and

signal analyzers; train junior staff on their use.

Hardware Builds & Integration

Support and in some cases lead prototype hardware builds - integrating actuators, sensors

(force/torque, IMUs, encoders, vision systems), compute modules, and power distribution systems.

Perform PCB bring-up and debug, interpret schematics and layout files, and triage issues at the

component, board, and system level.

Validate communication buses including CAN, EtherCAT, and RS-485; troubleshoot timing, signal

integrity, and protocol issues.

Provide DFM/DFA (Design for Manufacturability / Design for Assembly) feedback to hardware engineers

based on hands-on build experience.

Troubleshooting & Failure Analysis

Own root cause analysis for hardware failures across the full platform - power, compute, comms,

actuation, and sensing.

Reproduce and document failures systematically; author clear failure analysis reports that engineering

teams can act on.

Build and maintain a debug playbook for the lab - capturing known failure modes, diagnostic

approaches, and resolution paths.

Serve as the technical escalation point for complex issues in the lab, bridging the gap between hands-on

debugging and engineering team decision-making.

Reliability Engineering

Design and execute reliability and environmental test programs - thermal cycling, vibration,

mechanical stress, and long-duration soak testing.

Analyze failure data to identify patterns and systemic risks; partner with hardware engineers on design

improvements.

Maintain calibration records and test equipment certification to ensure measurement accuracy and data

integrity.

Qualifications :

Required

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, Mechanical

Engineering, or a closely related discipline.

7+ years of hands-on experience in hardware development, test engineering, or systems integration -

ideally across more than one of EE, reliability, and mechatronics.

Deep proficiency with electronic test equipment and debugging at both the component and system

level.

Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, PCB layouts, and mechanical drawings without

assistance.

Experience building test benches and custom test fixtures from scratch - not just operating existing

setups.

Strong written documentation habits - you write clear test plans, build procedures, and FA reports as a

matter of course, not as an afterthought.

Preferred

Experience in a robotics, physical AI, or advanced hardware R&D environment - familiarity with high-

DoF robotic systems, servo drives, or embedded motor control.

Background in reliability engineering methodologies: FMEA, HALT/HASS, Weibull analysis, or similar.

Scripting or programming ability (Python preferred) for test automation, data logging, and results

analysis.

Exposure to HIL (Hardware-in-the-Loop) testing setups and methodologies.

Experience with CAD tools (SolidWorks, Fusion 360, or similar) for fixture design and documentation.

Job Responsibilities

Test Bench Build & Execution

Design, build, and operate test benches for prototype robotic hardware - including power systems,

motion actuation, sensor arrays, and communication interfaces.

Develop test plans and acceptance criteria in partnership with hardware engineers; own execution of

those tests and documentation of results.

Build custom fixtures, jigs, and test setups for hardware validation - combining mechanical fabrication,

electrical wiring, and software scripting as needed.

Operate and maintain diagnostic equipment including oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, multimeters, and

signal analyzers; train junior staff on their use.

Hardware Builds & Integration

Support and in some cases lead prototype hardware builds - integrating actuators, sensors

(force/torque, IMUs, encoders, vision systems), compute modules, and power distribution systems.

Perform PCB bring-up and debug, interpret schematics and layout files, and triage issues at the

component, board, and system level.

Validate communication buses including CAN, EtherCAT, and RS-485; troubleshoot timing, signal

integrity, and protocol issues.

Provide DFM/DFA (Design for Manufacturability / Design for Assembly) feedback to hardware engineers

based on hands-on build experience.

Troubleshooting & Failure Analysis

Own root cause analysis for hardware failures across the full platform - power, compute, comms,

actuation, and sensing.

Reproduce and document failures systematically; author clear failure analysis reports that engineering

teams can act on.

Build and maintain a debug playbook for the lab - capturing known failure modes, diagnostic

approaches, and resolution paths.

Serve as the technical escalation point for complex issues in the lab, bridging the gap between hands-on

debugging and engineering team decision-making.

Reliability Engineering

Design and execute reliability and environmental test programs - thermal cycling, vibration,

mechanical stress, and long-duration soak testing.

Analyze failure data to identify patterns and systemic risks; partner with hardware engineers on design

improvements.

Maintain calibration records and test equipment certification to ensure measurement accuracy and data

integrity.