Design and develop mechanical architectures for humanoid robotic hands, including joints, structures, tendon-driven actuation, transmissions, and integrated electronics. Prototype, test, and iterate designs for strength, dexterity, durability, and manufacturability. Conduct stress, fatigue, and failure analyses; select materials based on mechanical and wear properties; and integrate sensors within highly space-constrained mechanisms.
About Us
Foundation is developing the future of general purpose robotics with the goal to address the labor shortage.
Our mission is to create advanced robots that can operate in complex environments, reducing human risk in conflict zones and enhancing efficiency in labor-intensive industries.
We are on the lookout for extraordinary engineers and scientists to join our team. Your previous experience in robotics isn't a prerequisite — it's your talent and determination that truly count.
We expect that many of our team members will bring diverse perspectives from various industries and fields. We are looking for individuals with a proven record of exceptional ability and a history of creating things that work.
All positions are based in San Francisco.
Our Culture
We like to be frank and honest about who we are, so that people can decide for themselves if this is a culture they resonate with. Please read more about our culture here https://foundation.bot/culture.
Why are We Hiring for this Role
- Tackle the hardest unsolved problem in robotics hardware: human-like dexterous manipulation in the real world
- Design and develop mechanical architectures for humanoid robotic hands, including joints, structures, and tendon-driven actuation systems.
- Design/select and integrate tendons, actuators, routing hardware, transmission mechanisms and electronics in extremely space-constrained environments
- Prototype, test, and iterate hand designs to meet strength, dexterity, durability, and manufacturability goals
- Conduct stress, fatigue, and failure analysis
- Select materials for tendons and structures (hard and soft) based on a variety of criteria: strength, friction, flexibility, wear resistance.
- Evaluate materials for flexibility, grip, and wear resistance, including soft materials where applicable
What Kind of Person are We Looking For
- Shipped hard-to-build, hard-to-make-reliable products at industrial scale
- Self starter, high accountability and high sense of ownership of their work
- Strong foundation in mechanical engineering principles and hands-on experience in robotics, automotive, or a related field
- Experience with complex assemblies and kinematic systems under tight spatial constraints
- Understanding of manufacturing processes (CNC machining, injection molding, stamping, additive manufacturing, etc.)
- Familiarity with control systems and mechatronics
- Hands-on prototyping experience
- Plus: Prior experience with tendon-driven systems and/or highly space-constrained moving mechanisms
- Plus: Experience integrating sensors (force, position, tactile) into mechanical systems
Benefits
- We provide market standard benefits (health, vision, dental, 401k, etc.) and equity. Join us for the culture and the mission, not for the benefits.
Salary
- The annual compensation is expected to be between $165,000 - $300,000+. Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and location.
Foundation Robotics San Francisco, California, USA Office
617 Bryant St, San Francisco, California, United States, 94107
Similar Jobs
Artificial Intelligence • Cloud • HR Tech • Information Technology • Productivity • Software • Automation
Lead the DevOps practice for ServiceNow Otto, owning CI/CD, release automation, Kubernetes infrastructure, observability, reliability, and operational tooling across SaaS environments. Build infrastructure automation, GitOps workflows, and scalable cloud platforms while supporting AI and agentic services in production. Partner with scientists and engineers to improve deployment velocity, security, resilience, troubleshooting, and operational efficiency.
Top Skills:
Agentic AiAnsibleArgocdBashCi/CdCursorDockerGenerative AiGithub ActionsGithub CopilotGitopsGoHelmInfrastructure As CodeJenkinsKubernetesKubernetes OperatorsLlmsModel InferencePythonRagTektonTerraformTool Calling
Artificial Intelligence • Cloud • HR Tech • Information Technology • Productivity • Software • Automation
Design, develop, and deploy large-scale Voice AI distributed systems across regions and datacenters. Build core voice platform capabilities, integrate APIs and self-hosted models, develop LLM-based applications and agents, and ensure scalable, reliable software. Partner with product managers and customers, improve SRE tooling, enforce engineering best practices, and mentor colleagues across Voice AI disciplines.
Top Skills:
APIsClaude CodeCursorDevOpsGoJavaKubernetesLarge Language Models (Llms)PythonVoice AiWindsurf
Artificial Intelligence • Cloud • HR Tech • Information Technology • Productivity • Software • Automation
Design, develop, and deploy scalable Voice AI platforms and distributed systems across regions and datacenters. Build LLM-based applications, voice agents, and integrations with AI models and APIs. Ensure high-quality engineering through architecture, testing, and code reviews; support SRE improvements; collaborate with product managers and customers; and mentor engineers across Voice AI disciplines.
Top Skills:
Claude CodeCursorGoJavaKubernetesLarge Language Models (Llms)PythonVoice AiWindsurf
What you need to know about the San Francisco Tech Scene
San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area attracts more startup funding than any other region in the world. Home to Stanford University and UC Berkeley, leading VC firms and several of the world’s most valuable companies, the Bay Area is the place to go for anyone looking to make it big in the tech industry. That said, San Francisco has a lot to offer beyond technology thanks to a thriving art and music scene, excellent food and a short drive to several of the country’s most beautiful recreational areas.
Key Facts About San Francisco Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 365,500; 13.9% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Google, Apple, Salesforce, Meta
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, cloud computing, fintech, consumer technology, software
- Funding Landscape: $50.5 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners, Greylock Partners, Khosla Ventures, Kleiner Perkins
- Research Centers and Universities: Stanford University; University of California, Berkeley; University of San Francisco; Santa Clara University; Ames Research Center; Center for AI Safety; California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
