Apply on Employer Site

Atomic Machines · 10 hours ago

Senior Director of Robotics Hardware (Node Engineering)

Emeryville, CA

Full-time

Onsite

Director/Executive

$250K/yr - $300K/yr

10+ years exp

Atomic Machines is ushering in a new era of micromanufacturing with its Matter Compiler™ technology platform. This senior leadership role is pivotal for the development of digital manufacturing Nodes that implement physical manufacturing processes, leading a team of mechanical engineers to design and build the required hardware.

ManufacturingSemiconductor

H1B Sponsor Likely

Responsibilities

Cultivate a high-performing leadership team by managing managers and directors while ensuring their teams consistently deliver against strategic objectives and engineering excellence standards

Own the node hardware architecture: mechanism selection, kinematics, structural design, thermal control, sensing, actuation, and serviceability - with clear interfaces to software, controls, and manufacturing

Drive hardware requirements and error budgets for precision, throughput, and reliability (accuracy, repeatability, stiffness, settle time, drift, MTBF/MTTR, uptime) and translate them into subsystem specifications and verification plans

Lead design and industrialization of motion subsystems (stages/gantries, rotary axes, Z/force axes), end-effectors, fixturing, and in-situ metrology aligned with sub-micron performance needs

Establish rigorous design processes: design reviews, interface control documents (ICDs), GD&T and tolerance analysis standards, DFMEA/PFMEA, verification & validation (V&V) plans, and disciplined engineering change control (ECO/ECN)

Build scalable calibration and alignment strategies into the hardware (datums, fiducials, kinematic mounts, reference artifacts) and partner with software to automate calibration, compensation, and drift detection

Partner with Manufacturing Engineering to develop the prototype-to-production pipeline for node hardware: supplier strategy, DFM/DFA/DFS, first-article inspection, incoming quality, build documentation, assembly/test fixtures, and ramp to stable yields

Drive reliability engineering for nodes: test strategy (lifetime, wear, thermal cycling, vibration, contamination), FRACAS, root cause analysis, preventive maintenance design, and reliability growth metrics

Hire, develop, and lead a high-performing multi-disciplinary hardware organization (ME, opto-mechanics, test/validation) with a strong bar for technical excellence and execution

Partner cross-functionally to integrate nodes into complete manufacturing systems and debug factory issues with urgency, rigor, and high standards

Qualification

Mechanical EngineeringPrecision Mechanism DesignRoboticsAdvanced Manufacturing SystemsGD&TReliability EngineeringSensor IntegrationFailure AnalysisLeadershipCommunicationTeamwork

Required

At least 7 years as an IC developing complex robotics, precision automation, or advanced manufacturing systems, along with 10+ years of cross-organizational leadership, including managing managers/directors and driving org-level hiring and talent strategies

Demonstrated ownership of multiple hardware systems shipped to production: from early prototypes through manufacturing ramp and sustained field operation

Deep expertise in precision mechanism design: stiffness/compliance, vibration/dynamics, thermal drift, error budgeting (including Abbe errors), and practical metrology

Strong command of GD&T, tolerance stack-ups, and design for manufacturability/assembly/service (DFM/DFA/DFS), including collaboration with suppliers and quality teams

Experience selecting and integrating sensors and actuators (encoders, force/torque, vision, capacitive/inductive, pneumatics, motors, bearings) with clear understanding of physics and failure modes

Track record of building hardware test and validation frameworks: DVP&R, fixture design, automated test where appropriate, and clear pass/fail criteria tied to requirements

Strong reliability and failure analysis skills: DFMEA/PFMEA, RCA, DOE, wear/fatigue, contamination, and field-debug discipline in production environments

Systems-level leadership and communication across mechanical, electrical, controls, software, vision, manufacturing, and supply chain domains

Cultural alignment with first-principles reasoning, accountability, disciplined thinking, high standards, and truth-seeking teamwork

Preferred

Ph.D. (strongly preferred) or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, Physics, or a related field with deep hands-on hardware execution

Benefits

Equity

Benefits

Company

Atomic Machines

Atomic Machines are into MEMS micro- and nano-fabrication.

Founded in 2019

Berkeley, California, USA

51-200 employees

https://www.atomicmachines.com/

H1B Sponsorship

Atomic Machines has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)

Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship

Represents job field similar to this job

Trends of Total Sponsorships

2025 (4)

2024 (7)

2023 (3)