Hardware R&D Tech Lead

The Hardware R&D Technical Lead runs the HQ team that keeps Moxi robots in hospitals working. The team provisions, builds, tests, quality-checks and ships what the field needs. Diligent Robotics deploys Moxi, a mobile service robot, in hospitals across the US. The operating fleet is growing from about 70 robots today to about 200 by the end of 2027, mostly next-generation Moxi units at new hospital sites. This role makes sure HQ keeps pace. The team's mission is the same as all of Service Operations: 95% overall monthly robot uptime, timely delivery of assigned objectives, and continuous improvement mindset for all systems and processes. Responsibilities Lead and develop the team - Hold weekly 1:1s and give every role written expectations and clear measures. - Coach, give direct feedback, run performance reviews, and address performance issues early, with HR. - Cross-train the team so no task depends on one person. - Build a culture of ownership: confirm work is done, close every loop, and hand off in writing. Keep staffing matched to the fleet - Track workload across provisioning, builds, QC, refurbishment and parts shipping, and spot capacity gaps before they cause delays. - Forecast headcount with the Head of Service Operations as the fleet grows, then hire and onboard to plan. - Plan coverage for time off, on-call rotations and build surges. Keep the team aligned on priorities - Own the team's charter and intake for requests from field service, engineering and manufacturing. - Keep a single prioritized backlog and make trade-offs visible early. - Join the daily field service stand-up, and publish a weekly status: done, in progress, blocked, decisions needed. Coordinate testing with engineering - Plan and run hardware tests and validation with the hardware, software and reliability engineering teams, such as docking, charging, battery, thermal and endurance testing. - Schedule HQ test robots, make sure results are recorded and shared, and pilot retrofits before they go to the fleet. - Support root-cause analysis on repeat field failures. Run depot operations - Oversee robot and base provisioning, builds, refurbishment and returns. - Own the QC gate so parts and robots ship complete to hospital sites and to manufacturing. - Make sure parts ship the same day, and keep work instructions and repair procedures current. Qualifications - 5+ years of hands-on work with electromechanical or robotics hardware, such as building, repairing, testing or field service. - 2+ years leading technicians directly, including hiring, coaching and managing performance. - Strong electrical troubleshooting on low-voltage DC systems, batteries, chargers and wiring harnesses, using a multimeter and reading schematics. - Experience running a test, QC or build process with written procedures and recorded results. - Clear, direct written and verbal communication with technicians, engineers and leadership. - Able to balance competing priorities and say what will slip and why. What Makes You Stand Out - Familiarity with MaintainX or a similar maintenance management system (CMMS). - Experience working with contract manufacturers on builds, quality issues and returns. - Background with mobile robots, AMRs or other autonomous machines. - Experience with lithium battery systems and charging, LiFePO4 in particular. - Lean or 5S shop practices, or experience in a regulated environment such as healthcare. Working conditions - Full-time and on-site at our Austin, TX headquarters, working in a hardware shop and office setting. - Up to 10% travel to hospital sites and manufacturing partners. - Regularly lift and move components up to 50 lb, and stand for long periods during builds and testing. - Occasional after-hours support when robots are down.