Dexmate

Hardware Support Engineer at Dexmate (Fremont, CA)

Dexmate· Fremont, CA· $70k–$110k·

Role details

Salary
$70k–$110k
Work type
Onsite
Employment
Full-Time
Skills
Hardware failure analysisElectronic or electromechanical systems debuggingSchematic readingOscilloscope usageMultimeter usagePower supply analysisLogic analyzer usageLinuxCAN protocolEthernet protocolEthercat protocolI²C protocol

Summary

The Hardware Support Engineer performs hands-on debugging, failure analysis, and maintenance of the robot platform, bridging the gap between internal development and customer support. Responsibilities include troubleshooting hardware and system failures, collaborating cross-functionally to implement corrective actio...

Job description

About Dexmate

Dexmate is building the foundation for physical AI — combining a new generation of robots with a universal Physical AI OS, making robots as easy to build and deploy as software. Today, robotics is fragmented, slow, and closed: most builders are forced to reinvent the same stack again and again, and most ideas never make it past the prototype stage. We exist to change that. Our mission is to democratize robotics by lowering the barrier to entry, delivering a plug-and-play platform for developers, researchers, and enterprises, and cultivating an open ecosystem that accelerates the evolution of physical AI. If you want to help shape the next layer of human capability — and believe the future of robotics should be built together, not in isolation — we'd love to build it with you.

The Role

We're looking for a hands-on, field-tested hardware technician — not a fresh-out-of-school roboticist — to keep our deployed fleet running. You'll be the person customers and internal teams call when a unit goes down, the person who flies out to diagnose and fix it on-site, and the person who feeds what you learn in the field straight back into how we design and support the next generation of hardware. This is a deeply technical, hands-on role: you'll run your own site visits end-to-end — triage, travel, repair, documentation — with real ownership over getting the machine back up, not just working off a checklist.

Responsibilities

  • Field Deployment & Commissioning — Travel to customer sites to install, commission, and validate new units; ensure each deployment meets spec before handoff.
  • On-Site Diagnostics & Repair — Diagnose and repair electrical systems (wiring, power supplies, sensors, controllers) and mechanical systems (actuators, motors, gearboxes, joints) under real-world field conditions, often with limited support.
  • Preventive Maintenance — Run scheduled maintenance and inspection programs across the fleet to catch issues before they become downtime; track wear patterns across the 200+ unit install base.
  • Field Troubleshooting — Serve as the front-line technical responder for customer-reported hardware issues; independently diagnose and resolve problems on-site, looping in engineering only when needed.
  • Documentation & Knowledge Base — Maintain detailed repair logs, failure analyses, and maintenance records (Linear/Notion); build out field runbooks and troubleshooting guides as the fleet grows.
  • Hardware Feedback Loop — Be the voice of the field for the hardware engineering team — flag recurring failure modes, propose design-for-repairability improvements, and help component standardization decisions.
  • Spare Parts & Logistics — Manage spare parts inventory and logistics for field visits; plan ahead for multi-day or multi-site trips with the right tools and parts on hand.
  • Customer-Facing Communication — Represent Dexmate professionally on-site; explain issues and resolutions clearly to non-technical customer stakeholders.
  • Training — Where needed, train customer-side operators or junior technicians on basic troubleshooting and maintenance.
  • Safety & Compliance — Ensure all field work follows safety protocols and company standards; flag hazards and drive corrective action.

Minimum Qualifications

  • 3–10 years of hands-on field service or technician experience with robotics, industrial automation, medical devices, heavy equipment, or similarly complex electromechanical hardware — this is not an entry-level or new-grad role.
  • Proven track record owning field visits independently — diagnosing unfamiliar failures on-site, making judgment calls without an engineer on standby, and closing the loop with the customer.
  • Strong, demonstrated skill in both electrical and mechanical troubleshooting: multimeters, oscilloscopes, wiring diagrams, schematics, actuators, motors, gearboxes, bearings.
  • Comfort with frequent travel and working across different customer environments and schedules; ability to manage your own logistics on the road.
  • Associate or bachelor's degree in Electrical/Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, or a related technical field — or equivalent hands-on field experience (we weight real-world track record over credentials).
  • Excellent communication skills — you'll regularly be the face of Dexmate in front of customers, often under pressure.
  • High ownership and comfort operating with ambiguity — early-stage company, evolving processes, and you'll help build the playbook as you go.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience specifically with legged/humanoid robots or complex multi-actuator systems.
  • Experience mentoring or informally guiding other technicians on troubleshooting approach.
  • Relevant certifications (electrical, mechanical, robotics-adjacent).
  • Experience at an early-stage hardware startup where support processes were still being built out.
  • Familiarity with fleet management/monitoring tools.

Why work at Dexmate

  • Mission-Driven: Opportunity to work on cutting-edge general-purpose robotics and Physical AI, moving technology from labs to real-world impact.
  • Engineering-Heavy Culture: 60% of employees are in technical roles (AI, robotics, software, hardware), with a strong emphasis on hands-on building.
  • Fast-Growing Startup: ~328% headcount growth in one year, indicating high trajectory and opportunity for early employees to have outsized impact.
  • Location: HQ in Santa Clara, CA (Silicon Valley), with an in-office work policy (on-site workspace).
  • Compensation: Engineering roles list salary ranges like $100K–$300K, competitive for the robotics/AI space.
  • Notable Culture Signals: "Build with us" hiring language, active LinkedIn community (4,273 followers), and a focus on "smile, reach out, and instantly connect" suggests a collaborative, builder-oriented environment.

Application questions