---
title: 'Forward Deployed Engineer at Mind Robotics'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/forward-deployed-engineer-mind-robotics-normal-bbd8cgm3t5eq'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-11'
---

# Forward Deployed Engineer at Mind Robotics

- **Company:** Mind Robotics
- **Location:** Normal, IL
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-06-10
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-11
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/mindrobotics/dc99eff5-34e5-4595-bb80-ba5b5b9eea16/application

**Skills:** Linux, Bash, Python, TCP/IP, Subnets, DNS, DHCP, Firewall rules, ping, traceroute, tcpdump, ssh, Hardware troubleshooting, Embedded devices, Single-board computers, Docker, Ansible, Portainer, DevOps, Software infrastructure tools

> 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.

## About Mind Robotics

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Mind Robotics builds AI-driven robotic systems for industrial deployment, focusing on creating general-purpose physical intelligence for the world's most demanding manufacturing challenges.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series A)
- **Headquarters**: Palo Alto, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2025
- **Founders**: Not publicly disclosed (founding technical team includes Sriramana Sankar, Ruijie He, Vishal J., and Ury Zhilinsky as Founding Technical Members)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Robotics Engineering, Industrial Automation, Artificial Intelligence
- **Target customers**: B2B, Enterprise (industrial manufacturing, factory floors)
- **Mission or purpose statement**: "Building the generalized physical intelligence required to solve the world’s most demanding industrial challenges." The company believes the path to general-purpose robotics begins where the need is most acute and the environment is most structured: the factory floor.

## Products & Services
- **AI-Enabled Industrial Robots**: Intelligent robotic systems designed for industrial deployment, focusing on creating collaborative platforms for manufacturing environments. The company builds "physical AI" for real-world industrial challenges, emphasizing hardware-in-the-loop development where researchers and engineers work hands-on with hardware.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Total Funding of **$615M** across two rounds
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Andreessen Horowitz (co-lead Series A), Accel (co-lead Series A), Kleiner Perkins (led most recent round), Eclipse (seed), Prysm Capital, Menlo Ventures. Partners include Silicon Valley Robotics.
- **Growth Signals**: 
  - Raised a $115M seed round in late 2025, followed by a massive $500M Series A in March 2026 co-led by Accel and Andreessen Horowitz
  - Closed an additional funding round in May 2026 led by Kleiner Perkins
  - Headcount of ~21 employees with a monthly growth rate of +42.9%
  - LinkedIn following of 9,654 with +38.5% monthly growth
  - Talent sourced from top companies including Tesla, Rivian, Databricks, and Physical Intelligence

## Competitive Advantages
- **Massive capital advantage**: With $615M in total funding raised within its first year, Mind Robotics is one of the best-capitalized early-stage robotics startups, enabling aggressive hiring and R&D investment.
- **Top-tier investor backing**: Backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Accel, and Kleiner Perkins — some of the most prestigious venture firms in the world.
- **Hardware-in-the-loop philosophy**: The company emphasizes that the hardest problems in AI are solved when researchers and engineers are hands-on with hardware, creating a unique engineering culture focused on real-world deployment.
- **Lean, high-impact team**: With only ~21 employees and massive funding, each individual has outsized ownership and impact.

## Strategic Focus
- **Industrial deployment first**: Targeting factory floors as the most structured environment for deploying general-purpose robotics, believing this is the fastest path to broadly capable robots.
- **Physical AI development**: Building the intelligence layer for robots that can operate in messy, complex real-world environments.
- **Aggressive scaling**: With $615M in funding, the company is rapidly expanding its team across hardware engineering, software, and data platform roles.

## Why Work Here
- **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.

## Sources
1. [mindrobotics.com](https://www.mindrobotics.com/)
2. [mindrobotics.com/careers](https://www.mindrobotics.com/careers)
3. [LinkedIn - Mind Robotics](https://www.linkedin.com/company/mindrobotics)
4. [Built In - Mind Robotics](https://builtin.com/company/mind-robotics)
5. [Ashby Jobs - Mind Robotics](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/mindrobotics)

## Other roles at Mind Robotics

- [Actuation Engineer, Motor Design](https://feeny.ai/job/actuation-engineer-motor-design-mind-robotics-palo-alto-gxcwzjckdh2e) — Palo Alto, CA
- [Tech Lead, Robotics Runtime & Middleware](https://feeny.ai/job/tech-lead-robotics-runtime-middleware-mind-robotics-palo-alto-0nmtyyhy7tad) — Palo Alto, CA
- [IT Operations Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/it-operations-lead-mind-robotics-palo-alto-nnxhw00ffje8) — Palo Alto, CA
- [Test Engineer, Actuation](https://feeny.ai/job/test-engineer-actuation-mind-robotics-palo-alto-fpcjggcme83d) — Palo Alto, CA
- [Supplier Industrialization Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/supplier-industrialization-engineer-mind-robotics-palo-alto-v7csa9tpt7ys) — Palo Alto, CA
- [System Integration Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/system-integration-engineer-mind-robotics-palo-alto-fbfk3r1bw99s) — Palo Alto, CA
- [Tech Lead, Software Infrastructure and Fleet Management](https://feeny.ai/job/tech-lead-software-infrastructure-and-fleet-management-mind-robotics-palo-alto-1pdhevhnevhm) — Palo Alto, CA
- [Hardware Lab Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/hardware-lab-technician-mind-robotics-palo-alto-wrdf1ybv7y4g) — Palo Alto, CA
- [Simulation and Validation Software Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/simulation-and-validation-software-engineer-mind-robotics-palo-alto-byck56jcmcar) — Palo Alto, CA
- [DevOps Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/devops-engineer-mind-robotics-palo-alto-7v1ppafsxmdy) — Palo Alto, CA