Principal Robotics Hardware Architect

Job Description

Job Description

Agility Robotics is a pioneer. Our robot, Digit, is the first to be sold into workplaces across the globe. Our team is differentiated by its expertise in imagining, engineering, and delivering robots with advanced mobility, dexterity, intelligence, and efficiency -- robots specifically designed to work alongside people, in spaces built for people. Every day, we break through engineering challenges and invent new solutions and capabilities that will one day make robots commonplace and approachable. This work is our passion and our responsibility: our mission is to make businesses more productive and people's lives more fulfilling.

Agility Robotics is pioneering the development of humanoid robots built for real-world work. Our mission is to create robots that integrate seamlessly into human environments, addressing complex challenges across logistics, manufacturing, and beyond. As we grow, we are seeking a Principal Robotics Hardware Architect to lead and elevate our architecture team—driving system-level design decisions, ensuring scalability, and maintaining the speed and agility essential to success in a fast-paced startup environment.

Location:

This position is based in the San Francisco Bay Area, with regular travel to our headquarters in Salem, OR required—typically one week per month, with occasional additional trips as needed.

Agility Robotics is seeking a Principal Robotic Hardware Architect to drive the technical vision and hardware architecture of our humanoid robotics platforms, reporting directly to the Chief Hardware Officer. In this highly strategic and technical leadership role, you will serve as the cross-functional hardware architect, partnering closely with leaders across systems, mechanical, electrical, software, perception, and controls to define and evolve the architecture of our robotic systems.

You will be responsible for ensuring the integration of complex subsystems—ranging from sensing and compute to mechanical actuation and safety—into a cohesive, performant, and reliable, and scalable humanoid robot. This role is ideal for a senior technical leader with a proven track record in robotic system design and architecture, including deep experience with humanoid or legged robotics, and strong systems-level thinking.

• Own the end-to-end robotics system hardware architecture, ensuring scalable, and reliable integration of perception, compute, actuation, kinematics, control, and safety systems.

• Provide technical direction and system level architectural leadership to other architects as well as across hardware teams, guiding the design of high-performance robotic subsystems.

• Lead trade studies and architecture reviews across disciplines, balancing performance, functional safety, complexity, manufacturability, cost, and reliability.

• Partner with cross functional teams including software controls and simulation teams to ensure architectural decisions are grounded in system-level modeling, simulation, and performance analysis.

• Collaborate closely with systems engineering, test, and integration teams to ensure architecture translates into testable, traceable requirements.

• Influence long-term roadmap and product direction by translating user needs, field performance, and R&D findings into architectural evolution.

• Represent hardware in cross-functional discussions on control architecture, safety strategy, system diagnostics, and autonomy stack integration.

• Serve as a technical mentor and thought leader within the organization, raising the bar for engineering rigor and systems thinking.

• 15+ years of experience in robotics hardware development, including at least 5 years leading system architecture or as a chief/principal engineer.

• Deep understanding of robotic system design, particularly humanoid or legged systems, actuator and transmission design, including tradeoffs in mass, structures, fatigue, thermals, actuation, sensing, power, compute, and safety.

• Proven experience in architecting and delivering complex electromechanical robotic systems into field or commercial deployment.

• Strong foundation in robot kinematics, dynamics, controls, and system modeling.

• Experience with simulation tools such as MuJoCo, Gazebo, or equivalent, and integrating simulation into system design and validation workflows.

• Familiarity with functional safety concepts, FMEA/FMECA, and hazard analysis in robotic systems.

• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with experience influencing decisions across multidisciplinary teams.

• Prior experience architecting full-stack robotics systems in a humanoid, legged mobility, mobile manipulation, or high-DOF automation platform.

• Hands-on experience with perception pipelines, real-time control systems, and safety-rated architectures.

• Familiarity with AI and reinforcement learning techniques applied to robotics learning and control.

• PhD or Master's degree in Robotics, Mechatronics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.

• Experience mentoring and growing teams of senior engineers and staff-level talent.

At Agility Robotics, we are building the future of human-centric automation through groundbreaking humanoid robots. As a foundational technical leader, you'll help shape a product and platform that redefines the role of robots in the workforce—developed by a world-class team committed to innovation, engineering excellence, and real-world impact.

Full-time Employees are eligible for Benefits:

• 401(k) Plan: Includes a 6% company match.
• Equity: Company stock options.
• Insurance Coverage: 100% company-paid medical, dental, vision, and short/long-term disability insurance for employees.
• Benefit Start Date: Eligible for benefits on your first day of employment.
• Well-Being Support: Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Time Off:
  • Exempt Employees: Flexible, unlimited PTO and 10 company holidays, including a winter shutdown.
  • Non-Exempt Employees: 10 vacation days, paid sick leave, and 10 company holidays, including a winter shutdown, annually.
• On-Site Perks: Catered lunches four times a week and a variety of healthy snacks and refreshments at our Salem and Pittsburgh locations.
• Parental Leave: Generous paid parental leave programs.
• Work Environment: A culture that supports flexible work arrangements.
• Growth Opportunities: Professional development and tuition reimbursement programs.
• Relocation Assistance: Provided for eligible roles.

Agility Robotics is committed to a work environment in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. Each individual has the right to work in a professional atmosphere that promotes equal employment opportunities and prohibits unlawful discriminatory practices, including harassment. Therefore, it is the policy of Agility Robotics to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, citizenship, national origin, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. Agility Robotics prohibits any such discrimination or harassment.

Agility Robotics does not accept unsolicited referrals from third-party recruiting agencies. We prioritize direct applicants and encourage all qualified candidates to apply directly through our careers page. If you are represented by a third party, your application may not be considered. To ensure full consideration, please apply directly.

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