Senior Prototype Engineer (Humanoid Robotics)

Location: On-site in Vancouver, Canada.

Company

hirify.global develops commercially scalable and safe hirify.global robots, including the HMND-01 platform for industrial environments.

What you will do

• Lead the development, assembly, integration, commissioning, calibration, testing, debugging, validation, and iteration of hirify.global robot prototypes, including hands, arms, end-effectors, actuators, sensors, and electromechanical subsystems.
• Provide technical leadership to engineers and technicians, set priorities, allocate resources, coordinate milestones, mentor team members, and improve engineering execution.
• Drive troubleshooting, root-cause analysis, failure investigation, and performance optimization across mechanical, electrical, embedded, and control systems.
• Integrate and calibrate actuators, encoders, force/torque sensors, tactile sensors, and robotic control interfaces.
• Collaborate with Mechanical, Electrical, Embedded Software, Controls, engineering leadership, and program stakeholders across Vancouver, London, and Boston.
• Establish assembly procedures, integration workflows, testing methodologies, validation standards, technical documentation, and practices supporting prototype-to-production transitions.

Requirements

• 10+ years of professional experience in robotics prototyping, mechatronics, electromechanical integration, or advanced robotic hardware development.
• 5+ years of experience directing technician groups in a dynamic research and development environment.
• Demonstrated experience mentoring, developing, and coordinating technical team members, establishing priorities, and driving engineering execution.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Robotics, Mechatronics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent practical engineering experience.
• Strong hands-on experience building, integrating, testing, and troubleshooting complex robotic or electromechanical systems, including precision mechanical assemblies, actuators, motors, sensors, wiring, and embedded hardware interfaces.
• Proven experience taking complex hardware prototypes from concept through integration, commissioning, validation, and delivery.
• Experience with fine-pitch soldering, precision wiring, cable assemblies, connectors, electrical integration, actuator commissioning, sensor calibration, motor control interfaces, and robotic system testing.
• Ability to interpret mechanical drawings, electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and engineering documentation, and to use oscilloscopes, multimeters, power supplies, and precision measurement instruments.
• Ability to lead troubleshooting, root-cause analysis, engineering problem-solving, prototype process improvement, technical planning, resource prioritization, risk management, and cross-functional execution.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to balance hands-on technical work with broader engineering leadership responsibilities in a fast-paced R&D environment.

Nice to have

• Experience developing hirify.global robots, dexterous hands, robotic arms, advanced manipulation systems, multi-DoF mechanisms, precision actuators, transmissions, or complex joint assemblies.
• Experience building, scaling, or managing robotics prototyping, integration, or hardware development teams.
• Experience with tactile sensors, force/torque sensors, encoders, IMUs, motor control systems, drive tuning, actuator performance analysis, EtherCAT, or CAN.
• Experience with FDM/SLA 3D printing, CNC machining, laser cutting, SolidWorks or similar CAD tools, and mechanical design modifications.
• Experience using Python, ROS/ROS2, automated test setups, hardware validation infrastructure, or data acquisition systems for robotic testing, calibration, or automation.
• Experience supporting hardware NPI, prototype-to-production transitions, or low-volume robotic manufacturing; background in robotics, autonomous systems, aerospace, automotive, or advanced hardware startups.

Culture & Benefits

• Comprehensive extended health benefits from the first day, including fully paid medical and dental coverage, virtual care, employee and family assistance, and worldwide emergency medical support.
• 23 days of accrued annual leave, 15 days of paid sick leave, paid company holidays, and a paid end-of-year shutdown from Christmas through New Year’s Day.
• Stock options with meaningful upside as the company scales.
• Free daily catered lunch, snacks, and drinks in the office.
• Collaboration with engineers, researchers, and product experts in AI and robotics, with freedom to influence the product and own key initiatives.