Foundational Industries · 1 week ago
VP Software Engineering
El Segundo
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
10+ years expFoundational is building a network of AI-native, autonomous factories for modern contract manufacturing. They are seeking a VP Engineering to lead the design, integration, and deployment of AI-driven robotics and automation systems, ensuring that engineering systems meet real-world requirements for throughput, safety, reliability, and scalability.
Consumer Goods
Responsibilities
Own engineering strategy and execution for AI-driven manufacturing systems, spanning robotics, controls, perception, automation, and software infrastructure
Lead integration of autonomous mobile robots, autonomous workcells, sensors, and perception systems into a unified orchestration layer capable of coordinating heterogeneous systems in production
Architect and deliver core orchestration services, control layers, and system interfaces required to operate complex autonomous workflows reliably at scale
Build, lead, and scale a high-caliber engineering organization, establishing strong technical standards, fast execution cycles, and accountability across disciplines
Partner closely with manufacturing operations and product leadership to translate production constraints into technical specifications that reflect real throughput, maintenance, and safety constraints
Drive pragmatic build-vs-buy-vs-partner decisions grounded in timeline, risk, and operational reality
Establish simulation, testing, and validation workflows to de-risk deployments and enable rapid, repeatable rollout of autonomous systems across future facilities
Remain hands-on during critical phases, including system design reviews, integration debugging, and on-floor issue resolution
Qualification
Required
10+ years of experience leading complex engineering efforts across robotics, automation, controls, and software systems, including senior leadership responsibility
Proven track record integrating heterogeneous autonomous systems (AMRs, workcells, sensors, perception) into production-grade environments
Strong systems-level judgment and experience making high-stakes architectural and execution decisions in operational settings
Demonstrated ability to build and lead cross-disciplinary engineering organizations while maintaining technical credibility and hands-on engagement
Deep understanding of manufacturing realities, including throughput, uptime, safety, maintenance, and operator workflows
Experience delivering zero-to-one systems on aggressive timelines, particularly in factory or industrial environments
Clear, direct communicator able to align engineers, operators, executives, and external partners around technical decisions
Bias toward execution and speed, balanced with the discipline required to build systems that scale reliably
Builder mindset and comfort operating in ambiguity, with ownership for outcomes rather than narrow functional boundaries
Benefits
Compensation and equity are structured to reflect responsibility, impact, and results, with meaningful upside for those who help build and scale the business.
Company
Foundational Industries
Foundational is building a network of AI-native, autonomous factories to reshore critical supply chains — so companies can produce high‑quality products domestically, quickly, and at competitive cost.
2-10 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageCompany data provided by crunchbase