VP of Hardware

At Rhoda AI, we’re building the next generation of generalist intelligent robots. We own the full robotics stack from high-performance hardware and robot systems to the infrastructure and state-of-the-art foundation world models that control our robots. Our robots are designed to be generalists capable of operating in complex, real-world environments and handling long-tail edge cases, made possible by our cutting edge research and end-to-end system design. We've raised over $400M and are investing aggressively in model research, infrastructure, hardware development, and manufacturing scale-up to make generalist robotics a reality. We are looking for a VP of Hardware Engineering to lead the design, development, and scaling of Rhoda's robotic systems from concept through volume production. This is a critical leadership role responsible for building and managing a high-performance hardware organization, defining product architecture, and delivering best-in-class systems that meet the demands of real-world industrial deployment. Robotics has historically been limited by hardware systems that cannot operate reliably in real-world environments at scale. At Rhoda, we are solving that problem. What You'll Do Product & System Leadership - Partner with Product Management to define system requirements and product roadmaps - Translate product requirements into clear engineering specifications and system architectures - Drive end-to-end hardware development across mechanical, electrical, and system domains Design & Development - Lead the design and development of robotic systems including manipulation platforms, end effectors, sensor integration, and compute and control systems - Ensure systems are robust to real-world operating conditions (variability, wear, safety, uptime) Execution & Delivery - Oversee full product lifecycle: Concept → Prototype → Validation → NPI → Volume Production - Build and manage rigorous test and validation processes (functional, reliability, safety) - Establish engineering processes and standards to support rapid iteration without compromising quality Manufacturing & Scale - Lead New Product Introduction (NPI) and transition to volume production - Working together with operations and supply chain teams, develop and manage relationships with contract manufacturers and key suppliers - Drive cost optimization, yield improvement, and supply chain resilience Compliance & Safety - Oversee safety engineering and certification processes (CE, ISO, etc.) - Ensure systems meet regulatory and industrial deployment requirements globally Team Building & Culture - Build and lead a world-class hardware engineering team across mechanical, electrical, and systems engineering - Establish a culture of execution, ownership, and first-principles problem solving - Drive bold innovation across the hardware organization — encourage the team to push beyond existing approaches, rapidly iterate, and learn from real-world data What We're Looking For - 15+ years of experience in hardware/system development, including senior leadership roles - Proven track record of taking complex hardware systems from concept to volume production - Deep experience across the full product lifecycle: requirements definition, system architecture, design & development, test & validation, NPI & manufacturing scale-up - Strong experience with contract manufacturing and global supply chains - Experience leading safety, certification, and compliance efforts - Demonstrated ability to build and lead high-performing engineering teams - Experience working closely with product management and cross-functional teams Nice to Have (But Not Required) - Experience building and shipping commercially scaled robotic systems - Background in robotics, automation, or industrial systems - Experience with high-reliability systems deployed in real-world environments - Familiarity with hardware/software/AI system integration Candidates without direct robotics experience are encouraged t