---
title: 'Manager, Test Operations at Apptronik'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/manager-test-operations-apptronik-austin-92kj6425dhk6'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-27'
---

# Manager, Test Operations at Apptronik

- **Company:** Apptronik
- **Location:** Austin, TX
- **Posted:** 2026-10-26
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-27
- **Apply:** https://boards.greenhouse.io/apptronik/jobs/6234393004?gh_jid=6234393004

## Job description

Apptronik is a human-centered robotics company developing AI-powered robots to support humanity in every facet of life. Our flagship humanoid robot, Apollo, is built to collaborate thoughtfully with people, starting with critical industries such as manufacturing and logistics, with future applications in healthcare, the home, and beyond.

We operate at the cutting edge of Applied AI, applying our expertise across the full robotics stack to solve some of society's most important problems. You will join a team dedicated to bringing Apollo to market at scale, tackling the complex challenges like safety, commercialization, and mass production to change the world for the better.

## Role Overview

Apptronik is building advanced humanoid robots at scale, and manufacturing test is a critical part of ensuring reliability, quality, and production readiness across all robot subsystems.

We are seeking a Manager, Test Operations to be a hands-on technical leader to drive development, maintainability, and scalable hardware and software integrated solutions used for manufacturing and validation testing of robotic systems. This role will work closely with test and validation engineers, systems engineers, firmware developers, manufacturing, and operations teams to implement robust and maintainable test infrastructure supporting products from early NPI through production ramp.

This is a highly hands-on role focused on test automation, systems integration and manufacturing support in a fast-paced robotics environment.

## Responsibilities

Manufacturing Test Development

- Lead the team that deploys manufacturing test software and hardware for:
- PCBAs
- Actuators
- Cable harnesses
- Electromechanical subassemblies
- Full robot system testing
- Ensure the team develops scalable and modular test frameworks used across multiple test stations and product lines
- Focus the team on delivering automated functional tests, hardware validation tools, and diagnostic utilities to the manufacturing floor.
- Establish criteria for APIs and interfaces between test software and hardware systems
- Own the testing process reliability, maintainability, and deployment consistency across manufacturing environments
- Champion flawless integration of:
- Embedded systems
- Firmware interfaces
- Sensors and actuators
- Motion control systems
- Data acquisition hardware
- Establish technical direction for hardware bring-up, debug activities, troubleshooting and communication issues in manufacturing environments
- Collaborate with test and validation engineering teams to ensure products are designed with testability and manufacturability in mind
- Drive best practices and process improvements within the test organization
- Ensure test documentation, procedures, and architecture diagrams are maintained
- Implement code reviews and software release processes (CI/CD)

Manufacturing Operations Support

- Deliver processes and key metrics that provide actionable data for:
- Ensuring internal manufacturing operations and contract manufacturers are fully supported for deployment, maintenance, and troubleshooting of manufacturing test stations
- Supporting rapidly changing production ramps and resolving manufacturing test issues to minimize downtime
- Proposing manufacturing test requirements and workflows for future products

Required Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, or related field
- 5+ years of experience in leading complex electromechanical system test development for automated manufacturing systems
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management; able to represent the team to senior leadership and customers.
- Proven technical leadership — leading engineers and owning delivery of complex, cross-disciplinary systems.
- Formal people-management experience — hiring, developing, and directing a team.
- Willingness to travel to manufacturing sites, up to 20%
- Experience leading teams engaged with:
- Embedded systems
- Hardware/software integration
- Serial communication protocols
- Networked systems
- Familiarity with modern software development practices:
- Git
- Code reviews
- CI/CD workflows
- Issue tracking systems (Jira or similar)
- Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills working with complex electromechanical systems
- Comfortable working in fast-paced and evolving environments

## Preferred Qualifications

- Experience in robotics, aerospace, automotive, or similar electromechanical systems
- Experience with communication protocols: ROS/ROS2, EtherCAT, CAN, RS485 …etc
- Experience with manufacturing databases, MES systems, or traceability systems
- Experience developing scalable architectures for test infrastructure
- Familiarity with Linux-based development environments
- Experience with automated data analysis and reporting tools
- Experience supporting contract manufacturers or production environments
- Experience using AI-assisted software development tools and workflows

Physical Requirements

- Prolonged periods of standing and walking
- Periods of sitting at a workstation and working on a computer
- Ability to safely lift and/or move approximately 15 pounds at times.
- Ability to move throughout operational areas and maintain awareness of surrounding people, equipment, and robotic systems.
- Visual ability necessary to operate equipment, monitor robotic systems, and read printed and digital materials.
- Ability to communicate effectively with team members during normal operations and when responding to safety or operational concerns.

*This is a direct hire.  Please, no outside Agency solicitations.

Apptronik provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

## About Apptronik

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Apptronik builds advanced humanoid robots for real-world industrial applications, starting with manufacturing and warehousing, to address labor shortages and improve human productivity.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Funding Stage: Series A)
- **Headquarters**: Austin, Texas, United States
- **Founded**: 2016
- **Founders**: Founded as a spinout from the Human Centered Robotics Lab at the University of Texas at Austin; leadership includes CEO Jeff Cardenas and CTO Nicholas Paine

## Core Business
- Primary industry/industries: Robot Manufacturing, Humanoid Robotics, Industrial Automation, Artificial Intelligence
- Target customers: B2B / Enterprise — manufacturing facilities, warehousing and logistics operators, supply chain organizations
- Mission or purpose statement: “It is not Man vs. Machine, but Man + Machine” — building robots that empower humans to live to their fullest potential by solving labor shortages and reducing physical strain.

## Products & Services
- **[Apollo Humanoid Robot Platform]**: A full-electric, bipedal humanoid robot designed for industrial use. Combines advanced hardware, embodied AI, and fleet-level management software. Current applications include material handling, line-side tasks, palletizing, case picking, trailer unloading, and inspection. Built as a scalable platform that can extend into healthcare, eldercare, and home environments over time. (Type: Hardware + SaaS Platform)

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Annual Revenue**: ~$3.5 million (estimated)
- **Total Funding**: ~$963.8 million (includes a Seed Round of $14.6M in 2022, a Corporate Round in 2025, and an undisclosed Series A round; notable investors include Mercedes-Benz Group AG and Google)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Google, Terex, Humanoid Global
- **Growth Signals**: Headcount grew 98.1% year-over-year to 334 employees (2026 data). Named to the **2026 CNBC Disruptor 50** list. Recognized on the **Best Places to Work** list (2024, 2025). Won the **2025 IEEE Robotics & Automation Product Innovation Award**. Named **Most Innovative** (2025). Active job postings increased 238.5% year-over-year (88 open roles). Acquired Elevate Robotics Inc.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Deep heritage**: Spun out of UT Austin’s Human Centered Robotics Lab; team dates back to the DARPA Robotics Challenge (2015) and includes ex-NASA collaborators.
- **Full-stack vertical integration**: Covers hardware, embodied AI, and fleet-level management software — a complete, scalable platform rather than a one-off robot.
- **Safe, human-centric design**: Built for human environments from the ground up, with a focus on reducing physical strain and complementing human workers, not replacing them.
- **Early enterprise traction**: Active partnerships with major industrial players like Mercedes-Benz and Terex, proving real-world deployment over lab demos.

## Strategic Focus
- Scaling Apollo for manufacturing and warehouse deployment (current core market).
- Expanding into more complex environments: construction, healthcare, eldercare, and the home.
- Continuous hardware and software upgrades (CEO Jeff Cardenas calls humanoid robotics “the space race of our time” and has signaled major upgrades to Apollo).
- Building out fleet-level tools for multi-robot management and learning.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven**: Work on the frontier of humanoid robotics with a stated ethos of “Man + Machine” — robots that improve human quality of life.
- **High-growth environment**: Doubled headcount year-over-year with massive funding and expanding job postings; strong career growth potential.
- **Culture values**: Passion, creativity, collaboration, integrity, curiosity, and humility are explicitly stated as core values.
- **Perks & Benefits**:
  - Flexible PTO (open, unlimited)
  - 401k retirement plan
  - Comprehensive Medical, Dental & Vision coverage
  - Parental leave
  - Flexible work hours
  - Collaborative and innovative work environment
- **Remote/Hybrid Policy**: Not explicitly stated; 77% of workforce is in the United States (majority in Austin HQ). Specific roles may vary, but the company promotes a collaborative environment.
- **Talent sources**: Attracts talent from top robotics and tech companies — SpaceX, Tesla, Fox Robotics, Agility Robotics, Apple, iRobot, Neocis, and top universities (UT Austin).
- **Employee rating**: 3.9/5.0 on employer reviews (Work-Life: 3.5, Career: 3.7).

## Sources
1. [apptronik.com](https://apptronik.com/) — Company homepage
2. [apptronik.com/about-us](https://apptronik.com/about-us) — About Us / History / Mission
3. [apptronik.com/careers](https://apptronik.com/careers?gh_src=B+Capital+job+board) — Careers page / Perks & Culture
4. [apptronik.com/careers/job-listings](https://apptronik.com/careers/job-listings) — Open job listings
5. [linkedin.com/company/apptronik-inc.](https://www.linkedin.com/company/apptronik-inc.) — LinkedIn company profile (revenue, headcount, funding, employee breakdown)

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