Head of Engineering

Valstad

$130K — $180K *
Manufacturing & Automotive
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 10+ years in engineering with 5+ years leading teams
  • Proven experience in producing complex electromechanical or robotic systems
  • Deep expertise in machine design, controls, robotics, or software, with cross-domain fluency
  • Strong ability to balance technical excellence with project velocity
  • Hands-on experience in prototyping and field deployment
  • BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, CS, or a related field
  • Experience in industrial automation, heavy manufacturing, or defense is preferred

Responsibilities

  • Define and own the technical vision for robotic fabrication platform
  • Build, lead, and mentor a diverse engineering team
  • Make critical trade-offs for system integration and timely delivery
  • Drive engineering discipline without sacrificing project momentum
  • Engage directly in prototyping and field deployment activities
  • Establish partnerships with OEMs and technology providers

Benefits

  • Work with a pioneering team in robotic fabrication
  • Opportunity to shape the future of engineering direction
  • Mentorship and leadership opportunities
  • Hands-on engagement throughout the engineering process
  • High level of autonomy in decision-making
Full Job Description
This is a role for someone who has built and shipped complex hardware-software systems and wants to own the technical direction of an entire platform. You should be as comfortable making architectural decisions across disciplines as you are reviewing a drawing package or debugging a system on the shop floor.

What You'll Do
  • Define and own the technical vision and architecture for Valstad's robotic fabrication platform
  • Build, lead, and mentor a cross-disciplinary engineering team spanning machine design, software, controls, and robotics
  • Make the hard tradeoffs across mechanical, electrical, and software domains that determine whether systems integrate cleanly and ship on time
  • Drive engineering rigor - design reviews, test protocols, documentation standards - without killing velocity
  • Work hands-on with the team through prototyping, integration, commissioning, and field deployment
  • Establish technical partnerships with robot OEMs, component vendors, and technology providers
What You'll Bring
  • 10+ years of experience in engineering, with 5+ years leading cross-disciplinary technical teams
  • Track record building and shipping complex electromechanical or robotic systems into production environments
  • Deep expertise in at least one core domain (machine design, controls, robotics, or software) with strong fluency across the others
  • Ability to set a high technical bar while maintaining pace - you know when to optimize and when to ship
  • Hands-on instinct - you should want to be in the lab and on the floor, not just in meetings
  • BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, CS, or related field
  • Experience in industrial automation, heavy manufacturing, or defense is a strong plus

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