Head of Maintenance and Repair

Location: San Carlos, CA (on-site) About 1X We're an AI and robotics company based in San Carlos, California, on a mission to build a truly abundant society through general-purpose robots capable of performing any kind of work autonomously. We believe that to truly understand the world and grow in intelligence, humanoid robots must live and learn alongside us. That's why we're focused on developing friendly home robots designed to integrate seamlessly into everyday life. We're looking for curious, driven, and passionate people who want to help shape the future of robotics and AI. If this mission excites you, we'd be thrilled to hear from you and explore how you might contribute to our journey. The Role We are seeking a highly technical and hands-on leader to build and scale our internal Maintenance and Repair Operations function. This role will own the end-to-end workflow for diagnosing, repairing, and maintaining robotic systems within our workshop environment. You will lead the development of a high-performing team responsible for troubleshooting and repairing electromechanical systems at increasing scale—from early low-volume prototype builds to high-throughput production operations. Your work will play a critical role in system reliability, product feedback loops, and operational readiness as we scale production. This role requires deep technical judgment, strong operational instincts, and a willingness to work hands-on alongside the team in a fast-paced startup environment. You Will Build and lead the internal Maintenance and Repair organization for robotic systems Augment the playbooks and mentor the process to diagnose and troubleshoot complex electromechanical failures at both system and component level Establish and scale repair workflows, including intake, triage, repair, validation, and return-to-service processes Hire, coach, and develop a team of repair technicians and diagnostic/service engineers (mix of non-exempt and exempt roles) Define roles, responsibilities, and career progression across the Maintenance and Repair organization In partnership with the Quality Assurance team develop and implement structured processes for failure tracking, root cause analysis, and continuous improvement Partner closely with design, manufacturing, and reliability engineering to drive product improvements based on field and production failures Interpret and enforce use of technical documentation including schematics, work instructions, and bills of materials (BOMs) Hold the highest quality standards, safety requirements, and traceability expectations Support the transition from low-volume builds to higher-volume repair and refurbishment operations Maintain a strong presence on the floor — actively engaging in troubleshooting, mentoring, and process development