Robotics Engineer

Kadence is recruiting a Robotics Engineer for a seed-stage biotech in San Francisco building fully autonomous lab systems for a frontier AI application, physical systems that take high-level inputs and run complex workflows end-to-end, no human in the loop. Backed by top-tier SF investors.

What You'll Do

* Design, build, and iterate on electromechanical subsystems from scratch

* Write control logic, sequencing code, and hardware interfaces for production use

* Debug failures across mechanical, electrical, and software layers

* (Lead track) Hire and manage a team of 3–5 cross-functional engineers

Two Tracks

IC - Full-Stack Robotics Engineer

* Hands-on depth across 2+ domains: embedded, mechanical, controls, or electromechanics

* Shipped at least one complex physical system with full ownership

* Execution-focused — you make things reliable, not just working

Lead - Robotics Engineering Lead

* 2+ years managing a cross-functional hardware team

* Taken a physical system from prototype to production-grade reliability

* Deep enough technically to do the work yourself

Technical Domains

* Embedded: microcontrollers, firmware, SPI/I2C, real-time control

* Mechanical: CAD, fabrication, structural design under real operating conditions

* Controls: motor control, feedback systems, sequencing

* Electromechanics: sensors, actuators, PCB integration

Software fluency is a bonus, not a requirement.

Strong Signals

* Portfolio showing physical systems you've built - 3D models, build videos, writeups

* Experience with field-deployed or high-reliability systems (defense, industrial, medical)

* Background keywords: NIST field testing, impact-resilient, waterproof, temperature-controlled

* Industry experience at execution-focused robotics companies, not research labs

Not the Right Fit If

* Your work is primarily research, simulation, or lab-only

* You've never owned a physical system from prototype to shipped product

Compensation & Team

* $140K – $220K base + early-stage equity

* Founding engineer role - you shape the stack, team, and roadmap

* Small team (5 engineers total), fast decisions, real ownership