Overview

About the role

• Manager of the R&D Engineering Technician team (~8 technicians) at Charge Robotics.
• Lead technician team in building, testing, and deploying next-generation solar installation robots.
• Act as liaison between engineering teams and technicians.
• Own build execution and develop technician team members.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage ~8 technicians: approve hours/PTO, prioritize/assign work, conduct 1:1s and performance feedback.
• Ensure builds are complete, on schedule, meet quality standards; final inspection and sign-off on systems.
• Upskill team via coaching, onboarding, and building technical/process capabilities.
• Support mechanical and software engineering teams in assembly, testing, and support of robotic systems.
• Translate engineering intent into clear build instructions.
• Develop and maintain engineering documentation (assembly instructions, SOPs).
• Maintain workshop organization; drive continuous improvement initiatives (5S, tooling/fixture planning, build efficiency).
• Own and reinforce safety culture; follow/enforce safety procedures.

Candidate profile

• Minimum 5 years relevant mechanical/electrical assembly experience; prior leadership or mentoring experience preferred.
• Strong mechanical, electrical, equipment, and safety intuition.
• Comfortable interpreting schematics/CAD drawings; able to assemble complex electromechanical systems independently.
• Positive attitude; enjoys in-person work; excited to manage/motivate a small team.
• Safety-conscious with ability to enforce safety culture.
• Available to work full-time onsite at San Leandro, CA headquarters.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience with industrial robot arms, end effectors, industrial automation systems.
• Passion for deploying robots on solar construction sites and contributing to climate change solutions.

About Charge Robotics

• Series A startup building robots that construct solar farms.
• Addresses labor bottlenecks in booming solar project demand by automating construction with robots.
• Fast-moving company offering learning/growth opportunities with significant impact on company direction.
• MIT-founded; backed by Founders Fund, Energy Impact Partners, Lux Capital, Y Combinator (S21).
• Equal opportunity employer valuing diversity without discrimination.

Compensation

• Salary range: $90K – $120K plus equity.