Robotics Deployment Engineer

Company Description Third Wave Automation is a rapidly growing startup that has demonstrated its core technology components, proven its market fit, and just closed its Series C funding. If you are excited about cutting edge machine learning, robotics that affects the real world, and want to join a company where your skills can have a huge impact, you’ll fit right in. Third Wave Automation is applying modern machine learning to materials handling—delivering site-specific forklift navigation and infrastructure-free pallet handling that continuously adapts to changing floor configuration and warehouse demand. Job Description The Mission: The Tip of the Spear for Physical AI At Third Wave Automation, we don’t just write code behind a screen; we deploy 3,000 lb autonomous reach trucks into high-density warehouses. Moving heavy iron with centimeter precision requires a team that can bridge the gap between bleeding-edge software and the messy, chaotic reality of the physical world. The Robotics Deployment Engineer is the technical face of our company on the warehouse floor. You are part of the strike team responsible for the setup, integration, and ongoing excellence of our autonomous fleets at Tier-1 OEM sites. We are looking for engineers with the technical chops to debug Linux networks and C++ code, combined with the "dirt on the boots" grit to troubleshoot a complex robotics system while the customer is watching. You won't just deploy robots; you will be the critical feedback loop that makes our product better every single day. How You Can Make an Impact Flawless Field Execution: Lead the on-site technical deployment, calibration, and integration of our autonomous forklifts. You are the ultimate owner of the robot's performance from unboxing to go-live. The Engineering Loop: Act as the critical bridge between site reality and product strategy. You will triage complex hardware/software issues in the field, pull the telemetry, and translate those anomalies into actionable technical requirements for our core Engineering and Product teams. Customer Trust Operations: Serve as the technical authority for our customers. You will integrate our robots with their Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), train their operators, and ensure their throughput KPIs are not just met, but exceeded. AI-Augmented Problem Solving: Take an AI-first approach to field operations. You will leverage generative AI and modern tooling as a force multiplier to rapidly write scripts, automate repetitive deployment tasks, and analyze complex log data, 10x-ing your own efficiency. Scale the Playbook: Write the comprehensive documentation, deployment tools, and scripts that will allow us to scale from deploying 10 robots to 1,000 robots. What You'll Do (Your First 90 Days and Beyond) Master the Machine: Dive deep into the TWA hardware and software stack. You will learn the intricacies of our sensor suite, localization algorithms, and vehicle control systems. Your First Deployment: Shadow and then lead a live customer deployment, getting hands-on experience integrating our systems with real-world warehouse infrastructure. Automate the Mundane: Identify one major bottleneck in our current deployment or calibration process and write the tools/scripts to automate it. Build the Bridge: Establish a tight feedback loop with the Customer Success Operations Leader, fellow Deployment Engineers and the core Engineering team to ensure field realities are driving the product roadmap. Qualifications Technical Fluency: Deep, hands-on experience in Linux/Unix environments, including bash scripting, network configuration, and system administration. Code Debugging: Proficiency in reading, debugging, and writing scripts in Python and C++. You don't need to write the core autonomy engine, but you need to be able to debug it in the field. Industrial Integration: Experience integrating complex technical systems with enterprise software, specifically Warehous ... (truncated, view full listing at source)