Third Wave Automation

Manager, Field Engineering & Operations

Third Wave Automation$175K — $210K *
Technical Services
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 7+ years in field engineering or technical operations within robotics or related fields.
  • 2+ years managing technical teams focused on hiring and scaling operations.
  • Fluency in robotics systems terminology; can read logs and understand architecture.
  • Experience managing customer support structures, specifically L1/L2 support.
  • Prooven ability to lead cross-functional projects in deployments and fleet operations.
  • Willingness to travel to customer sites for deployments or escalations.

Responsibilities

  • Lead and mentor the Field Engineering team, overseeing hiring and capacity planning.
  • Manage initial site assessments and the deployment of robotic systems.
  • Ensure successful fleet maintenance and track operational metrics post-handoff.
  • Triage field issues by collaborating with engineering teams and prioritizing bugs.
  • Act as the primary contact for customers regarding daily operations and issues.
  • Oversee performance testing for new hardware/software releases ensuring stability.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage, plus a 401(k) match.
  • Flexible working schedule to enhance productivity.
  • Culturally rich environment promoting learning and sharing.
  • Daily meals provided, including lunch and extended hours dinner.
  • Always stocked snack shelves with plenty of options.
  • Supportive team culture with a focus on collaboration and camaraderie.
Full Job Description
Job Description

We are seeking a technical leader to manage and scale our Field Engineering team. This team owns the full lifecycle of our robotic fleet at customer sites-from initial site assessment and deployment to ongoing fleet maintenance, L1/L2 customer support, and customer success initiatives. You will act as the critical bridge between our field operations and core engineering teams. A strong baseline in robotics (perception, localization, calibration) is required to effectively triage field issues, prioritize engineering bugs, and ensure our fleet operates safely and efficiently at scale.

How You Can Make an Impact
  • Team Leadership & Hiring: Recruit, manage, and mentor a team of high-performing Field Engineers. Own the capacity planning and on-call scheduling for L1/L2 support.
  • Pre-Handoff Execution: Oversee initial site assessments (mapping and surveys), pre-deployment prep, hardware/software deployment, and customer operator certification training.
  • Post-Handoff Operations & Success: Manage fleet maintenance schedules, execute operational Proof of Concepts (PoCs), and track key performance metrics. Drive customer success initiatives focused on increasing daily utilization and adoption of the deployed fleet.
  • Technical Triage & Bug Prioritization: Partner directly with software and hardware engineering to review field data. Use your technical understanding of robotics (localization, perception, autonomy) to accurately qualify bugs, assess severity, and prioritize engineering support requests.
  • Operations Point of Contact: Be the point of contact for our customers for day to day operations and production issues and communications.
  • Release Testing: Manage Field Performance Testing (FPT) for new hardware and software releases, ensuring system stability before full-scale rollouts.

Qualifications
  • 7+ years of experience in field engineering, technical operations, or deployment within the robotics, autonomous vehicle, or industrial automation space.
  • 2+ years of direct people management experience, with a track record of hiring and scaling technical teams.
  • Strong fluency in robotics systems and terminology (e.g., localization, perception, calibration, kinematics). You do not need to write the code, but you must be able to read system logs, understand the architecture, and hold technical ground with senior engineers.
  • Experience managing L1/L2 customer support structures and on-call rotations.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage cross-functional projects spanning deployment, customer success, and ongoing fleet operations.
  • Willingness to travel to customer sites for critical deployments, mapping surveys, or high-level customer escalations.

The pay range for this position is $175,000 - $210,000/yr+ benefits+equity; however, base pay offered may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Base pay information is based on market location.

More About Working Here

Our Core Values:
  • Safety. We consider safety in everything we do.
  • People. We care about our teammates as people.
  • Encouragement. We encourage teaching, asking questions, and sharing opinions.
  • Transparency. We are transparent and sincere in our actions.

A robust set of benefits and perks:
  • Comprehensive benefits. Health, Dental, Vision, and a 401k matching program, to boot!
  • Flexible working schedule. Be productive when you work best.
  • Show & Tell. We love to learn from one another, and see the cool stuff everyone is working on!
  • Meals are covered. Lunch is provided every day, and dinner for those evenings that run long.
  • Stacks of snacks. Donuts are a main food group, and the snack shelf is always stocked with a wide variety of items.
  • Great teammates. One of the best parts of working here!

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