R&D Autonomous Vehicle Technician

R&D Autonomous Vehicle Technician at Foundation in San Francisco, CA.

Responsibilities

Why We Are Hiring for This Role

• Assemble, install, and maintain mechanical components on electric autonomous ATVs, including suspension, chassis, drivetrain, and enclosures.
• Build, route, and terminate wiring harnesses (low-voltage and high-voltage) following schematics, drawings, and best practices.
• Perform mechanical fabrication tasks: drilling, cutting, tapping, mounting brackets, basic machining, and fitting custom hardware.
• Support sensor, compute, and actuator integration (cameras, LiDAR, GNSS, ECUs, motor controllers, power electronics).
• Conduct vehicle bring-up, troubleshooting, and rework during prototype builds.
• Diagnose mechanical and electrical issues using standard tools (multimeter, continuity tester, CAN tools).
• Execute test procedures for functional checks, autonomous systems tests, and field shakedowns.
• Maintain detailed documentation of builds, changes, and inventory.
• Keep the shop and vehicle workspace organized, safe, and properly stocked.
• Collaborate closely with mechanical, electrical, and software engineers to rapidly iterate on designs.
• Assist with on-site deployments, demos, and field support as needed

Requirements

What Kind of Person We Are Looking For

• 3-5 years of hands-on experience as a technician in robotics, automotive, electric vehicles, heavy equipment, motorsports, aerospace, or similar hardware fields.
• Strong mechanical assembly skills: torque procedures, bearings, fasteners, drivetrains, suspension, alignment.
• Ability to read mechanical drawings, wiring diagrams, and basic schematics.
• Familiarity with basic electrical systems: 12–48V, DC power distribution, grounding, isolation, and safe HV handling.
• Proficiency using standard shop tools (hand tools, power tools, torque tools, drill press, etc.).

The annual compensation is expected to be between $100,000 - $150,000. Exact compensation may vary based on skills and experience.

Benefits

We provide market standard benefits (health, vision, dental, 401k, etc.). Join us for the culture and the mission, not for the benefits.

About the Company

About Foundation

Foundation is developing the future of general purpose robotics and electric mobility with the goal to save lives and augment human labor.

Our mission is to create an autonomous, crewless ATV built to be truly all-terrain. Designed for commercial and defense use, it can save lives and take on heavy transport across mining, agriculture, construction, and more.

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.