---
title: 'Senior Validation Engineer at Humanoid'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-validation-engineer-humanoid-london-68a9wwk49eyg'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-05'
---

# Senior Validation Engineer at Humanoid

- **Company:** [Humanoid](https://feeny.ai/companies/humanoid)
- **Location:** London, United Kingdom
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-08-27
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-05
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/humanoid/16082aba-861a-4101-84f3-4738dac15d8c

## Job description

Here at Humanoid, we believe in a future where robots amplify human potential. That’s why we’ve set out on a mission to build the world’s most capable, commercially-scalable, and safe humanoid robots. We’re bringing that mission to life with HMND‑01 - our rapidly developed humanoid platform being deployed in real industrial environments - and we’re growing the team to take it even further.

## About the Role

We are looking for a Senior Hardware Test Engineer to own the test methodology for HMND‑01’s hardware components, robot subsystems, and complete humanoid robots. You will be the engineer who decides what “good” looks like — from a single actuator on the bench to a full robot walking through an integration sequence. This is a hands-on, technical leadership role. You will design test methods, run them yourself on early prototypes, and partner closely with the test automation team, Manufacturing Engineering, Production Operations, and Supply Chain Quality as we move from EVT toward production. You’ll be the hardware voice that shapes what gets measured on the line, at what tolerance, and why — without owning the QC routine or rig build, which sit with Production Ops Quality and Manufacturing Engineering respectively.

## Key Responsibilities

1. Test Method Definition

- Component-Level Methods: Define functional, performance, and stress tests for individual hardware components — actuators, sensors, electronics, structural parts — including pass/fail criteria and required data capture.
- Subsystem Testing: Design integration tests for major robot subsystems (arms, hands, legs, torso, head) covering kinematic accuracy, repeatability, load behavior, and thermal response.
- Whole-Robot Testing: Define and execute system-level tests for full robot assemblies, including end-to-end motion sequences, balance, manipulation tasks, and failure-mode behavior.

1. Hands-On Test Execution

- Prototype Bring-up: Be the first engineer to put hands on each new hardware revision, characterizing performance against design intent and feeding findings back to the design team.
- Failure Analysis: Investigate failures during testing, work with hardware engineers to root-cause issues, and verify fixes.
- Test Documentation: Capture methods, results, and learnings in a way that the rest of the organization can repeat and trust.

1. Automation Support

- Test Automation Inputs: Translate manual test methods into specifications for the automation team. Decide which tests can be automated and which must remain manual, and why.
- Tooling: Specify and prototype custom test fixtures, jigs, and instrumentation needed to execute your methods reliably during prototype and bring-up work.
- Data: Define what each test must capture so that automated runs produce results comparable to your manual baseline.

1. Production Test — in partnership with Manufacturing Engineering and Production Ops

- Requirements for Line Rigs & Jigs: Provide the technical requirements for production test jigs, fixtures, and test beds — what they measure, at what tolerance, what data they need to capture, and the pass/fail criteria. Manufacturing Engineering owns rig design, build, and commissioning; you review designs and sign off on whether they actually verify what they’re meant to verify.
- In-Process Verification: Define the checks at each stage of assembly that confirm components and sub-assemblies have been built correctly before they move to the next station, including required measurements and rework paths for failures.
- Test Evidence & Traceability: Define what each production test must capture so that results, measurements, and pass/fail outcomes are written to the production database, linked to the serial number of the unit under test — every shipped robot has a complete and queryable build and test history.
- System-Level Acceptance: Define final-product acceptance tests — performance envelopes, functional gates, and sign-off criteria for a robot leaving the line.

1. Quality & Design Feedback Loop — in partnership with Supply Chain Quality and Production Ops Quality

- Component Performance Characteristics: Define the system-level performance characteristics that incoming parts must meet. Supply Chain Quality translates these into incoming inspection criteria and supplier qualification plans, and runs the inspection process.
- Root-Cause Partnership: Partner with Production Ops Quality on root-cause analysis when line failures trace back to component behavior or system design, and feed findings back into engineering.
- Closed Loop with Design: Treat test data as a closed loop with design — surface trends from production into design reviews so the product gets better, not just the process.

## Qualifications

Must-Have:

- Experience: 5+ years in hardware test engineering, with hands-on testing of complex electromechanical systems — robotics, automotive, aerospace, or similar.
- Test Methodology: Strong grasp of test theory, test design, and pass/fail criteria definition. You can write a test spec that another engineer can execute without follow-up questions.
- Mechanical: Solid understanding of mechanical design principles, common core components (gears, bearings, actuators), measurement tools (calipers, micrometers, load cells, encoders), and technical drawings including GD&T basics.
- Electrical: Comfortable reading schematics, using a multimeter and oscilloscope, and reasoning about basic power and signal integrity.
- Production Fluency: Familiarity with hardware production operations — flow, takt, work instructions, traveler documentation — enough to collaborate effectively with Manufacturing Engineering and Production Ops without trying to own their work.
- Tooling: Experience with test and task tracking systems (Jira, X-Ray, TestRail, or similar).
- Matrix Operating Style: Comfortable influencing test stations, rigs, and equipment design through clear requirements and tight partnership, not through ownership.
- Mindset: Systems thinking — you naturally see how a problem at the component level can manifest as a behavior at the full-robot level.

Nice-to-Have:

- Robotics experience, especially with serial-link manipulators or legged systems.
- Hands-on test rig and fixture design experience (mechanical and/or electrical) — useful for speaking the same language as Manufacturing Engineering on rig requirements.
- Python (or similar) for ad-hoc data analysis and lightweight test automation.
- CAD (SolidWorks/Fusion/NX) for sketching test fixtures.
- Familiarity with ROS2.
- Experience with embedded systems and field buses such as CAN or EtherCAT.
- Experience with industrial automation equipment (servos, gateways, sensors, PLCs).
- Knowledge of statistical quality control fundamentals (SPC, MSA) — for working effectively with Quality on test data interpretation.

## What You'll Be Testing

- Actuators (motors, gearboxes, encoders, drivers)
- Robot manipulators and end-effectors
- Legged subsystems and balance behaviors
- Power and battery systems
- Full humanoid robot assemblies

## What We Offer

- Meaningful time off to rest and recharge: 23 days of annual leave (accrued), 15 days of paid sick leave, and paid company holidays.
- Fully funded private healthcare for UK employees, with broad provider access, virtual and in‑person care, and strong mental health and serious illness support.
- Equity included–we believe builders should share in what they build.
- Pension scheme with a total 8% contribution (5% employee, 3% employer) on full earnings.
- Free daily breakfast, catered lunch, and snacks in‑office.
- Collaboration with top‑tier engineers, researchers, and product experts in AI and robotics.
- Freedom to influence the product and own key initiatives.

## About Humanoid

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Humanoid builds commercially scalable, safe, and reliable humanoid robots designed to automate labor-intensive industrial tasks across warehousing, logistics, manufacturing, and retail.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Seed stage)
- **Headquarters**: London, United Kingdom (HQ) with offices in Cambridge, MA, USA; Burnaby, BC, Canada; and additional presence in Germany, Georgia, and the UAE.
- **Founded**: 2024
- **Founders**: Artem Sokolov (CEO & Founder)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Robotics Engineering, Humanoid Robotics, Industrial Automation, Artificial Intelligence
- **Target customers**: B2B / Enterprise — industrial sectors including retail, e-commerce, third-party logistics (3PL), manufacturing, and automotive.
- **Mission or purpose statement**: “Empowering humanity by building the most reliable, safe, and helpful humanoid robots.” The company aims to free people from repetitive, dangerous, and tedious work, allowing them to engage in more creative and meaningful activities.

## Products & Services
- **HMND 01 Alpha Wheeled**: A robust industrial-grade wheeled humanoid robot designed for material handling, pick-and-place, and visual inspection in warehouses and factories. Prioritizes reliability, low total cost of ownership (TCO), and minimal maintenance.
- **HMND 01 Alpha Bipedal**: A bipedal humanoid robot for more complex environments requiring advanced locomotion, navigation of confined spaces, and higher dexterity. Features human-level manipulation speeds and walking speeds up to 1.5 m/s.
- **KinetIQ**: An AI framework for orchestrating fleets of humanoid robots across both wheeled and bipedal platforms, enabling centralized control and task optimization.
- **Modular Garments**: Exchangeable protective “garments” that allow HMND 01 robots to adapt to different use cases and environments, minimizing contamination and collision damage while enabling functional customization.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed.
- **Key Metric**: Total funding of **$50 million** (Seed round closed October 2025, with 1 lead investor).
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Strategic partners include leading global companies in AI, cloud computing, and research. Specific partner names are not publicly listed on the website, but the company highlights collaboration with commercial partners to scale deployment.
- **Growth Signals**:
  - Headcount grew **139.2% YoY** to ~182 employees (as of mid-2026), with 65 active job postings.
  - Opened offices in London, Boston, and Vancouver within its first year.
  - Team includes talent recruited from major robotics and AI firms: Sanctuary AI, Boston Dynamics, Dyson, Arrival, Ocado Technology, 1X, Wayve, Apptronik, and Brain Corp.
  - Focus on initial target sectors representing a combined $12 trillion in annual payroll and 250 million workers.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Human-centric design**: The world is already designed for humans, so humanoids can seamlessly integrate into existing environments without costly redesign.
- **Modularity**: HMND 01’s hardware/software modularity enables multi-task performance and easy repurposing, reducing the need for specialized robots.
- **Reliability & low TCO**: Prioritizing hardware and software stability over raw performance to deliver industrial-grade robustness suitable for mass commercialization.
- **KinetIQ fleet orchestration AI**: Proprietary framework for managing mixed fleets of wheeled and bipedal robots, differentiating from competitors focused on single-form-factor robots.
- **Experienced leadership**: CEO Artem Sokolov previously scaled a family manufacturing business into a billion-dollar enterprise (EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2021). The CTO, Jarad Cannon, has extensive experience translating research into deployment-ready robotics systems.

## Strategic Focus
- **Near-term (2027)**: Deploy robots for physical tasks in manufacturing, warehousing, logistics, and retail — tackling repetitive, dangerous, and tedious manual work.
- **Medium-term (2029)**: Expand into the service sector, targeting the 70-80% of the global economy that will be services, with a focus on assisting an aging population (1.4B people over 60).
- **Long-term (2031+)**: Enter households as assistants and companions, potentially revolutionizing everyday life across 3.5 billion homes.
- **Core strategy**: Partner with leading global companies in AI, cloud, and research for technology development, and with commercial partners for scaled deployment. The company believes the humanoid TAM will reach $38 billion by 2035 and $1 trillion by 2050.

## Why Work Here
- **High-growth environment**: Company grew headcount by 139% in a single year, indicating rapid scaling and opportunity for career advancement. 65+ open roles suggest strong hiring momentum.
- **Talent from top robotics firms**: Team includes alumni from Boston Dynamics, Sanctuary AI, Dyson, Ocado Technology, Arrival, Wayve, and others — offering a deep learning and collaboration environment.
- **Technical focus**: Engineering and technical roles represent 38% of the workforce, with senior-level hires at 23% of the team. The company emphasizes hardware, AI, machine learning, and control systems.
- **Mission-driven**: Clear purpose to automate undesirable, unsafe, and repetitive work — appealing to candidates who want to make a tangible societal impact.
- **Global presence**: Offices in London (HQ), Cambridge (USA), and Burnaby (Canada), plus operations in 16 countries — offering potential for international mobility and remote collaboration.
- **Innovation culture**: Described as a place where engineers and researchers “move from demo to deployment” and “not just in the lab.” The CTO emphasizes building systems that perform in the real world from day one.
- **Office/Hybrid policy**: Not explicitly stated, but the company has physical offices in three countries and a distributed team across 16 nations — likely supports hybrid/remote with in-office collaboration for engineering roles.

## Sources
1. [thehumanoid.ai](https://thehumanoid.ai/)
2. [thehumanoid.ai/about-us/](https://thehumanoid.ai/about-us/)
3. [thehumanoid.ai/team/](https://thehumanoid.ai/team/)
4. [thehumanoid.ai/careers/](https://thehumanoid.ai/careers/)
5. [LinkedIn Company Page](https://www.linkedin.com/company/humanoidai)
6. [Jobs.ashbyhq.com/humanoid](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/humanoid)

## Other roles at Humanoid

- [Robotics Engineer (Night Shift)](https://feeny.ai/job/robotics-engineer-night-shift-humanoid-london-r08dh912vhz8) — London, United Kingdom
- [Engineering Lab Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/engineering-lab-manager-humanoid-us-boston-gwsjybx8r0te) — US Boston, MA
- [Test and Validation Engineer - Contract](https://feeny.ai/job/test-and-validation-engineer-contract-humanoid-canada-vancouver-r5kewqy9gbdd) — Canada Vancouver, Canada
- [Prototype Engineer - Contract](https://feeny.ai/job/prototype-engineer-contract-humanoid-canada-vancouver-3x0hs95gxbyy) — Canada Vancouver, Canada
- [Shift Supervisor / Field Service Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/shift-supervisor-field-service-technician-humanoid-germany-5rkne6a7vwkx) — Germany
- [Software Engineer II, Device Security](https://feeny.ai/job/software-engineer-ii-device-security-humanoid-us-san-diego-3wj62epv9bj7) — US San Diego, CA
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