---
title: 'Hardware Systems Lead, Industrials at Applied Intuition'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/hardware-systems-lead-industrials-applied-intuition-sunnyvale-bs3tmex8gk2n'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-08'
---

# Hardware Systems Lead, Industrials at Applied Intuition

- **Company:** [Applied Intuition](https://feeny.ai/companies/applied-intuition)
- **Location:** Sunnyvale, CA
- **Compensation:** $200k–$270k
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-10-13
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-08
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/applied/ab279e98-7ff7-4a66-b6e8-3721572e762a

## Job description

Applied Intuition, Inc. is powering the future of physical AI. Founded in 2017 and now valued at $15 billion, the Silicon Valley company is creating the digital infrastructure needed to bring intelligence to every moving machine on the planet. Applied Intuition services the automotive, defense, trucking, construction, mining and agriculture industries in three core areas: tools and infrastructure, operating systems, and autonomy. Eighteen of the top 20 global automakers, as well as the United States military and its allies, trust the company’s solutions to deliver physical intelligence. Applied Intuition is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with offices in Washington, D.C.; San Diego; Ft. Walton Beach, Florida; Ann Arbor, Michigan; London; Stuttgart; Munich; Stockholm; Bangalore; Seoul; and Tokyo. Learn more at [applied.co](http://applied.co). We are an in-office company, and our expectation is that full-time employees primarily work from their Applied Intuition office 5 days a week. However, we also recognize the importance of flexibility and trust our employees to manage their schedules responsibly. This may include occasional remote work, starting the day with morning meetings from home before heading to the office, or leaving earlier when needed to accommodate family commitments. This in-office expectation does not apply to contractor positions

## About the role

Applied Intuition is bringing Physical AI to the machines that build, feed, and power the world. As Hardware Systems Lead for Industrials, you will be the hands-on architect for the hardware that runs on heavy industrial vehicles in mining, agriculture, and construction. You will understand the full system, mechanical and electrical, and own the question that matters most in these environments: will it survive? You will architect, build, test, and break hardware, then use what you learn to make it tougher. You'll work in the field as much as at the bench, and your decisions will define how Applied's hardware performs on real machines in dust, vibration, heat, mud, and shock. At Applied Intuition, you will:

- Own the end-to-end hardware architecture, mechanical and electrical, for Applied's industrial vehicle programs
- Interface with industrial customers as a representative of the hardware organization
- Be hands-on: prototype, build, install, debug, and test hardware on real machines, not just review designs
- Define and drive survivability: determine how sensors, compute, harnesses, connectors, and enclosures will hold up to vibration, shock, dust, water ingress, thermal extremes, EMI, and years of heavy use
- Design and run environmental and durability testing, analyze failures, and drive root cause and design fixes
- Lead integration of sensors (lidar, radar, cameras, GNSS/IMU), compute, power, networking, and actuation onto OEM heavy equipment
- Understand the host machine (powertrain, electrohydraulics, vehicle electrical architecture, CAN/J1939) well enough to integrate safely and reliably
- Be the technical authority and escalation point for hardware tradeoffs across mechanical, electrical, software, and test
- Lead hardware design reviews, set engineering standards, and mentor other engineers
- Support field deployments and commissioning at mine sites, farms, and customer facilities

We're looking for someone who has:

- BS/MS in Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics, or a related field
- 10+ years of hands-on hardware engineering experience on heavy industrial or off-highway vehicles (mining, agriculture, construction, or similar)
- Strong command of the whole hardware system: mechanical design, electrical architecture, power distribution, harness design, and how they interact
- A track record of designing hardware to survive harsh environments, with real experience in vibration, shock, ingress protection, thermal management, and EMI
- Hands-on experience in the lab and in the field: building prototypes, wiring and debugging systems, running tests, and diagnosing failures on real machines
- Deep knowledge of how industrial machines work, including powertrains, hydraulics, braking, steering, and CAN/J1939 networks
- Experience integrating hardware onto OEM or retrofit equipment
- Familiarity with autonomy hardware such as lidar, radar, cameras, GNSS/IMU, and ruggedized compute
- Systems-level thinking and the ability to make architecture decisions and defend them
- Experience with reliability and qualification testing (environmental testing, HALT, field durability)
- Comfort working directly with OEMs, customers, and site operators, including extended time at mine sites and farms

Nice to have:

- Experience with functional safety or machine safety standards (ISO 25119, ISO 13849, ISO 17757, ISO 26262)
- Experience with autonomous haulage, precision agriculture, or other autonomous industrial systems

Don’t meet every single requirement? If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles. Applied Intuition is an equal opportunity employer and federal contractor or subcontractor. Consequently, the parties agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-1.4(a), 41 CFR 60-300.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and that these laws are incorporated herein by reference. These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities, and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin. These regulations require that covered prime contractors and subcontractors take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status or disability. The parties also agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of Executive Order 13496 (29 CFR Part 471, Appendix A to Subpart A), relating to the notice of employee rights under federal labor laws. FOR US-BASED ROLES: Applied Intuition is committed to providing an accessible and inclusive application and interview experience to applicants who are disabled veterans and other applicants with disabilities or medical conditions. Reasonable accommodations are available, requesting an accommodation will not affect your candidacy in any way, and you are not required to disclose the nature of your disability or medical condition in order to make a request. If you require an accommodation please contact careers@applied.co. We will work with you!

## About Applied Intuition

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Applied Intuition builds software and digital infrastructure to bring physical AI — autonomous driving and robotics — to every moving machine on the planet.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series C; $1.5B total funding raised)
- **Headquarters**: Sunnyvale, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2017
- **Founders**: Qasar Younis (CEO) and Peter Ludwig (CTO)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Autonomous driving, robotics, defense technology, simulation and validation software for ADAS/AD systems.
- **Target customers**: B2B — automotive OEMs (18 of top 20 global automakers), trucking, construction, mining, agriculture, and the U.S. Department of Defense and its allies.
- **Mission or purpose statement**: “To build physical AI that creates a safer, more prosperous world.”

## Products & Services
- **Tools for Vehicle Intelligence**: Simulation, validation, and data management platforms for ADAS and autonomous vehicle development. SaaS and software tools for engineers building intelligent machines.
- **Vehicle OS**: An operating system for vehicles that manages over-the-air updates, data pipelines, and in-vehicle software, enabling automakers to deploy and maintain software-defined vehicles at scale.
- **Self-Driving Systems / Autonomy Stack**: End-to-end autonomous driving solutions, including perception, planning, and control, designed for cars, trucks, and off-road machinery.
- **NextGen OS & Infrastructure**: Platforms for defense, robotics, and next-generation physical AI applications, including solutions used by the U.S. military.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: ~$15 billion (as of 2024/2025, per LinkedIn profile)
- **Key Metric**: Total funding of $1.5 billion; 1,153 employees (+55% YoY); 396 active job postings
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Andreessen Horowitz, General Catalyst, Floodgate, NVIDIA, Databricks; partners include 18 of top 20 global automakers and U.S. defense agencies.
- **Growth Signals**: 
  - Acquired EpiSci (Feb 2025), Caliber Data Labs, and entities in Germany/UK.
  - Headcount grew 55% YoY; 1,000+ engineers.
  - Office expansion to 12 countries (US, UK, Germany, Sweden, South Korea, Japan, India, etc.).
  - Active hiring — job postings up 117.6% YoY.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Deep domain expertise**: Founded by YC alum/former GM engineer (Qasar Younis) and ex-Google Maps/Android Automotive engineer (Peter Ludwig).
- **Talent density**: 1,000+ engineers, 40+ ex-CTOs, and 30+ former founders on staff — a unique concentration of senior, founder-level talent.
- **Breadth of industry coverage**: Serves automotive, defense, trucking, mining, agriculture, and construction — rare diversification in physical AI.
- **Trusted by government and top OEMs**: U.S. military and 18 of top 20 global automakers rely on their stack, creating high switching costs and deep moats.
- **End-to-end platform**: Covers simulation, validation, OS, and full autonomy stack — not just a point solution.

## Strategic Focus
- **Expansion into defense**: Heavy investment in defense AI, including acquisitions and dedicated government offices in Washington D.C., San Diego, and Ft. Walton Beach.
- **Scaling physical AI beyond automotive**: Driving autonomy into mining, agriculture, construction, drones, and satellites.
- **Growing global footprint**: Opening offices in Europe and Asia to serve local OEM and defense clients.
- **Deepening the research lab**: Building a world-class AI research team focused on real-world intelligence.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: “1,000 engineers, 40 ex-CTOs, and 30 former founders” — a high-agency, high-trust environment where engineers take ownership of hard problems from day one.
- **Impact**: Work on technology that goes from sports cars to fighter jets to mining trucks — real-world physical AI that saves lives and reshapes industries.
- **Benefits**:
  - 100% employer-paid medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
  - 50% 401(k) matching
  - Up to 12 weeks fully paid parental leave
  - Learning stipend for education and training
  - Fitness and wellness stipend
  - 25 free Lyra coaching/therapy sessions per year
  - Catered lunches and expensed dinners, snacks, and drinks at offices
  - Alumni network for long-term professional connections
- **Work model**: Office-first culture with global hubs (12 offices across US, Europe, and Asia). Not fully remote — roles are generally tied to a specific office location.

## Sources
1. [appliedintuition.com — About](https://www.appliedintuition.com/about)
2. [appliedintuition.com — Homepage](https://www.appliedintuition.com/)
3. [linkedin.com — Applied Intuition Company Page](https://www.linkedin.com/company/applied-intuition-inc)
4. [appliedintuition.com — Careers](https://www.appliedintuition.com/careers)
5. [appliedintuition.com — Jobs](https://www.appliedintuition.com/jobs)

## Other roles at Applied Intuition

- [Technical Program Manager, Defense OS](https://feeny.ai/job/technical-program-manager-defense-os-applied-intuition-sunnyvale-9bnc63pbf5qe) — Sunnyvale, CA
- [Network and Security Engineer, Defense](https://feeny.ai/job/network-and-security-engineer-defense-applied-intuition-sunnyvale-nrjf7nmpp25m) — Sunnyvale, CA
- [Full-Stack Engineer, C2 Command & Control](https://feeny.ai/job/full-stack-engineer-c2-command-control-applied-intuition-sunnyvale-p5c35qknx672) — Sunnyvale, CA
- [Robotics Integration Engineer, Tech Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/robotics-integration-engineer-tech-lead-applied-intuition-sunnyvale-hgjjxk2a4qxc) — Sunnyvale, CA
- [Software Engineer, C++ (Onboard Platform)](https://feeny.ai/job/software-engineer-c-onboard-platform-applied-intuition-sunnyvale-p489bx55ft2a) — Sunnyvale, CA
- [Autonomy Integration Engineer (Drone Stack)](https://feeny.ai/job/autonomy-integration-engineer-drone-stack-applied-intuition-sunnyvale-tan8xdrrvasy) — Sunnyvale, CA
- [Autonomy Integration Engineer - Drone Stack](https://feeny.ai/job/autonomy-integration-engineer-drone-stack-applied-intuition-freeport-7fzbq9hxsp5t) — Freeport, FL
- [Software Engineering Manager (Defense/PhysicalAI)](https://feeny.ai/job/software-engineering-manager-defense-physicalai-applied-intuition-washington-bfs8784c9g0k) — Washington, DC
- [Product Manager - Data Engine](https://feeny.ai/job/product-manager-data-engine-applied-intuition-sunnyvale-wbg3ysdbymb5) — Sunnyvale, CA
- [Senior Software Engineer - Frontend Platform](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-engineer-frontend-platform-applied-intuition-sunnyvale-fqhx4vndyafr) — Sunnyvale, CA