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.