Senior Hardware Lead – Robotics, Electronics & Manufacturing | Zürich AI Startup | Relocation Support | €130k+

Position: Hardware Lead – Robotics, Electronics & Manufacturing
Remote working policy: On-site in Zürich, Switzerland
Employment type: Full-time
Salary guide: €90,000–€135,000 annually, depending on experience. 

 

Relocation: Visa and relocation support available for the right candidate.

About the company:
Our client is an early-stage AI and robotics company building software that coordinates robots and sensors for physical security. Based in Zürich, its founding team combines expertise in AI, autonomy and software. You’ll establish the hardware capability that brings these systems into the field.

About the role:
If you want to shape a hardware function while still doing the engineering yourself, this role gives you both. You’ll decide what to build, source or integrate across ground robots, drones and stationary platforms.

Expect to remain deeply hands-on for the first 12–18 months, initially as the sole hardware specialist. You’ll work directly with the founders, take platforms through testing and production, and build the team as the company scales.

What you’ll get to build and influence:

• Define hardware strategy and make build-versus-buy decisions across robotic platforms
• Design and integrate mechanical, electrical and electromechanical systems
• Develop chassis, mounts and enclosures for outdoor deployments
• Select and integrate cameras, LiDAR, IMUs, GPS and audio sensors
• Own power, onboard compute, actuation and hardware interfaces
• Take designs through prototyping, design validation, production validation and manufacturing
• Select suppliers and contract manufacturers, manage bills of materials and improve manufacturability
• Investigate field failures and validate reliability in harsh operating conditions
• Establish engineering practices and help recruit the future hardware team

What we’re looking for:

• At least 8+ years in robotics, autonomous systems or closely related hardware engineering
• At least one hardware product personally taken from an early design through production and real customer deployment
• Experience building and shipping a new hardware product in a startup
• Deep mechanical or electrical engineering expertise, with strong capability across systems integration
• Hands-on experience with design validation testing (DVT), production validation testing (PVT) and manufacturing readiness
• A track record of ruggedising hardware for outdoor, all-weather or harsh environments
• Experience sourcing and managing contract manufacturers and suppliers
• Current involvement in design, bring-up, testing and debugging
• Willingness to work independently before a larger hardware team is in place
• Availability to work on-site in Zürich

Additional experience that would be valuable:

• PCB design, power electronics, embedded bring-up or EMC debugging
• Design for manufacturing and hardware certification
• Ground robots, drones or multiple robotic form factors
• ROS 2 and robot bring-up workflows
• Security, defence, industrial inspection or other field robotics applications
• Building a hardware team from the ground up

Why join our client?

• Establish the hardware function and influence its technical direction from the start
• Make platform, supplier and design decisions directly with the founders
• Stay close to practical engineering while developing towards team leadership
• Build hardware that operates in real environments and learn directly from field performance
• Work alongside specialists in AI, robotics and physics
• Receive visa and relocation support where required

Location:
Zürich, Switzerland. This is an on-site role involving hands-on development and field testing.

Sounds interesting? Apply below with your CV or LinkedIn profile outlining your achievements. Include an example of hardware you personally designed and shipped, your contribution and how it performed in the field.

For questions, please contact: [email protected]

We are looking forward to hearing from you!

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