Forward Deployed Engineer at Mind Robotics (Normal, IL)
Mind Robotics· Normal, IL·
Role details
Summary
This onsite role in Normal, IL involves managing and troubleshooting a fleet of data collection devices and robots. Responsibilities include hardware provisioning, Linux system administration, networking troubleshooting, and serving as the primary technical contact for customers while coordinating with HQ engineering.
Job description
About Mind: Mind Robotics is building Physical AI for real-world industrial deployment, starting with the factory floor. We believe the hardest problems in AI are solved when researchers and engineers are hands-on with the physical world every day - and we're looking for people who are passionate about robotics, value ownership, and are excited to tackle difficult problems. Join us if you want to move beyond digital intelligence and put intelligence into motion.
About the Role
At Mind Robotics, we're building generalized physical AI — robotic systems capable of dexterous, adaptive, and reasoning-intensive work in real-world industrial environments. We’re hiring a Forward Deployed Engineer to be our hands and eyes onsite at a key customer in Normal, IL. You’ll be responsible for our fleet of data collection devices — diagnosing and repairing devices, provisioning new hardware, troubleshooting networking, and running the diagnostic workflows that keep the system healthy. This role will start with critical robot data collection devices and then transition into robot deployment support. This is a forward-deployed role with strong support from HQ. You won’t be alone: our engineering team is one Slack message away, and you’ll work closely with them to escalate complex issues, ship fixes back into the product, and bring the voice of the customer into our roadmap. The ideal candidate is technically curious, calm under pressure, and energized by being the person on the ground who makes things work.
Responsibilities
- Provision new hardware by installing and configuring Linux, deploying our software stack, and validating device health before bringing units into production.
- Run diagnostic scripts, collect and interpret system logs, and execute command-line workflows to identify root causes of device or network issues.
- Configure and troubleshoot local networking (IP, DHCP, DNS, VLANs, Wi-Fi/Ethernet) to ensure reliable device connectivity to our backend.
- Serve as the customer’s primary technical point of contact onsite, coordinating closely with HQ engineering and support to resolve issues and feed field learnings back into the product.
Qualifications
- Hands-on hardware and software troubleshooting experience, ideally with microcomputers, embedded devices, cameras, or similar single-board computers.
- Comfort with Linux system administration: installing distributions, package management, systemd services, file permissions, and basic shell navigation.
- Working knowledge of Bash (and ideally Python) for reading and running simple diagnostic scripts and automating routine tasks.
- Solid networking fundamentals: TCP/IP, subnets, DNS, DHCP, basic firewall rules, and fluency with tools like ping, traceroute, tcpdump, and ssh.
- Strong customer-facing communication skills and the self-direction to operate independently onsite while staying tightly coordinated with a remote HQ team.
- Prior experience in a field service, forward deployed, or solutions engineering role is a plus.
- Familiarity with DevOps and software infrastructure tools such as Docker, Ansible, Portainer, etc. is a plus.
- Familiarity with computer vision systems, IP cameras, or industrial IoT deployments is a plus.
- Experience with Git, basic scripting in Python, or remote device management tools is a plus.
Why work at Mind Robotics
- Massive impact per person: The company explicitly states it is "building a lean, collaborative team where every individual has a massive impact" — a rare promise for a company with over half a billion in funding.
- Hardware-in-the-loop culture: Engineers and researchers work directly with physical hardware daily, solving real-world problems rather than just simulation.
- Top-tier team: Colleagues include alumni from Tesla, Rivian, Databricks, and Physical Intelligence, creating a high-caliber peer group.
- Work policy: Hybrid workspace (combination of remote and on-site work) with a strong in-office presence in Palo Alto, CA. Most roles appear to be on-site or hybrid.
- Open roles: 22 active positions across hardware engineering (actuation, motor design, electrical design, tactile sensing), software engineering (robotics, firmware, controls, ML infrastructure), and data platform roles.
- Culture highlights: The company looks for "builders who are passionate about robotics and live for the challenge of making systems work in messy, complex environments." They emphasize a lean, collaborative team where every individual has massive impact.