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vp, embodied systems

mundane
Palo Alto, CA
Full-time
AI tools:
ROS2
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Full Description

Start Date: ASAP

About Us

Mundane is a venture-backed seed-stage robot learning startup founded by a team of Stanford researchers and builders. We’re deploying a massive fleet of humanoid robots to perform mundane tasks in commercial environments, collecting data to build the next generation of embodied intelligence. We’re a fast-paced, execution-driven team of engineers, roboticists, and dreamers.

About the Role

As VP of Embodied Systems, you’ll bridge the gap between research and deployment — owning the systems, infrastructure, and processes that turn experimental robot behaviors into production-ready capabilities. You’ll lead efforts in systems integration, fleet management, networking, and large-scale testing to ensure our humanoid robots perform reliably across dynamic environments.

You’ll be the connective tissue between R&D and real-world deployment — building the frameworks that make learning-driven robotics scalable, safe, and measurable. This is a hands-on leadership role: you’ll architect the deployment stack, guide cross-functional teams, and shape the strategy for how Mundane brings embodied intelligence into the wild.

Responsibilities

* Oversee the transition of robot learning research into robust deployable systems across our humanoid fleet.

* Design and implement frameworks for fleet management, network reliability, and real-time monitoring.

* Lead systems integration across software, hardware, and cloud infrastructure to ensure seamless operation.

* Develop and maintain testing pipelines and simulation-to-reality validation frameworks for large-scale deployments.

* Deep familiarity with ROS and middleware architectures, including custom node development, message passing, and distributed control.

* Collaborate with ML, controls, and perception teams to integrate new models into production robots.

* Drive the continuous improvement of field reliability, latency, and data collection efficiency.

* Build and manage a high-performing development and testing team, fostering tight feedback loops between research and deployment.

* Establish best practices for deployment safety, telemetry, and debugging in complex, multi-robot environments.

Qualifications

* 5+ years of experience in robotics, autonomous vehicles, or large-scale systems deployment.

* Proven track record in systems integration, fleet operations, or networked robotics.

* Strong programming experience in C++ and Python; familiarity with ROS2, distributed systems, and real-time data pipelines.

* Deep understanding of hardware/software integration, network architecture, and deployment automation.

* Experience leading technical teams and managing cross-functional development cycles.

* Exceptional debugging, reliability, and systems design skills.

Bonus:

* Experience with VR teleoperation or remote control systems.

* Background in robotic controls or motion planning.

* Familiarity with machine learning or robot learning frameworks.

What You’ll Get

* Ownership of the development stack powering humanoid deployment at scale.

* A leadership seat at the intersection of robotics research and production systems.

* Early equity with meaningful upside in a venture-backed robotics company.

* The ability to ship features to live robots in weeks, not quarters.

* Deep exposure to every layer of the stack — hardware, controls, perception, ML, and fleet ops.

* A chance to define how embodied intelligence moves from lab to world.

Perks: Competitive salary + equity, flexible PTO, legendary merch, coffee, robots, sauna & cold plunge (pending).

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