Automation Hardware & Software Integration Engineer

Location: San Francisco, CA

Department: Manufacturing

Who should join

• You like working in person with a team in San Francisco.
• You deeply believe that this is the most important mission for humanity and needs to happen yesterday.
• You are highly technical - regardless of the role you are in. We are building technology; you need to understand technology well.
• You care about aesthetics and design inside out. If it's not the best product ever, it bothers you, and you need to “fix” it.
• You don't need someone to motivate you; you get things done.

Why We Are Hiring for This Role

• Lead and support software bring-up for new robot hardware, including sensors, actuators, and embedded systems.
• Integrate and validate firmware, middleware, and control software modules on humanoid platforms.
• Develop and maintain automated test frameworks for software validation,
• Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing for actuators, and end-of-line manufacturing tests.
• Design and execute functional and performance tests across locomotion, perception,
• manipulation, and other robotic subsystems.
• Collaborate closely with mechanical, electrical, and software engineering teams to debug system-level issues.
• Build tools and infrastructure to monitor robot behavior, collect logs, and track test results.
• Document integration and test procedures and contribute to internal best practices for continuous testing and deployment.

What Kind of Person We Are Looking For:

• Strong debugging and troubleshooting skills across hardware and software interfaces
• Proficient in Java & Python.
• Familiarity with manufacturing test systems and end-of-line testing processes.
• Experience with real-time systems, and embedded device communication (e.g., EtherCat, CAN, I2C, SPI, UART).
• Familiarity with test automation tools, CI/CD pipelines, and version control (Git).
• Experience working with humanoid or legged robots.
• Exposure to hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation and real-time test frameworks.
• Background in fast-paced startups or hardware prototyping environments
• 4-5+ years of work experience in robotics software integration, embedded systems, or test automation.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Robotics, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field.

Benefits:

We provide market standard benefits (health, vision, dental, 401k, etc.). Join us for the culture and the mission, not for the benefits.

Salary:

The annual compensation is expected to be between $135,000 - $160,000. Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and location.

About the Company

About Foundation:

Foundation is developing the future of general purpose robotics with the goal to address the labor shortage.

Our mission is to create advanced robots that can operate in complex environments, reducing human risk in conflict zones and enhancing efficiency in labor-intensive industries.

We are on the lookout for extraordinary engineers and scientists to join our team. Your previous experience in robotics isn't a prerequisite — it's your talent and determination that truly count.

We expect that many of our team members will bring diverse perspectives from various industries and fields. We are looking for individuals with a proven record of exceptional ability and a history of creating things that work.

Our Culture:

We like to be frank and honest about who we are, so that people can decide for themselves if this is a culture they resonate with. Please read more about our culture here https://foundation.bot/culture.