Mid-Level Forward Deployed Engineer

Clera
San Francisco, CA
On-site

Who this role is best for

Practitioners with field engineering experience in robotics and a practical interest in physical AI will find this hybrid deployment role valuable. The job emphasizes on-site troubleshooting and travel, with a focus on logistics environments and model feedback loops.

Best fit for

  • Candidates with 2–8 years of field engineering experience in logistics or warehouse automation environments
    — “Two to eight years of experience deploying robotics or automation systems in factory, warehouse, or logistics environments.”
  • Individuals who have worked on hardware-software integrations involving sensors and perception systems
    — “Hands-on experience debugging hardware and software integrations in the field, including cameras, depth sensors, or tactile sensors.”

Things to consider

  • This role requires extensive travel, which may not be suitable for candidates preferring remote work.
    — “Travel 50 to 75% to customer sites across the United States, working around changing field schedules.”
  • The position demands a hybrid work arrangement, with three days per week in the San Francisco office.
    — “Work from the San Francisco office about three days per week.”

How to stand out

  • Emphasize your field experience with robotics systems and your ability to troubleshoot hardware and software failures.
    — “Diagnose and resolve hardware, software, and perception failures during demos and live deployments.”
  • Highlight your contributions to model training and architecture through operational data collection and analysis.
    — “Collect operational data and document failure modes to inform model training and architecture.”
  • Showcase any hands-on work with Vision-Language-Action models, even if it was academic or lab-based.
    — “Basic familiarity with Vision-Language-Action models, including through academic or lab projects.”
  • Include experience with GPU compute stacks or edge deployment environments if applicable.
    — “Experience with GPU compute stacks or edge deployment environments is helpful.”
Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · Team

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • successful deployment of robotics systems
  • data collection and model tuning
Typical background
roboticsautomation

Skills & requirements

Required

RoboticsAIDeploymentTroubleshooting

Preferred

Korean Language

About the role

Original posting from Clera via Ashby

ABOUT THE ROLE

Join a physical AI and robotics team deploying robotics systems in customer environments. You will own deployments from data collection and model tuning through production monitoring, while feeding field learnings back into model development.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

  • Lead deployment cycles, including data collection, model fine-tuning, physical system setup, and production monitoring.
  • Diagnose and resolve hardware, software, and perception failures during demos and live deployments.
  • Collect operational data and document failure modes to inform model training and architecture.
  • Troubleshoot integrations across perception hardware, compute stacks, and edge environments.
  • Travel 50 to 75% to customer sites across the United States, working around changing field schedules.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

  • Two to eight years of experience deploying robotics or automation systems in factory, warehouse, or logistics environments.
  • Hands-on experience debugging hardware and software integrations in the field, including cameras, depth sensors, or tactile sensors.
  • Basic familiarity with Vision-Language-Action models, including through academic or lab projects.
  • Practical interest in physical AI and robotics, with a proactive approach to troubleshooting and learning.
  • Experience with GPU compute stacks or edge deployment environments is helpful. Korean language skills are also helpful but not required.
  • Willingness to travel extensively and work from the San Francisco office about three days per week.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Base salary is $180,000 to $220,000 annually, with an early-stage equity grant and medical, dental, and vision coverage. Visa sponsorship is available.

LOCATION

Hybrid, based in San Francisco, California, United States.

Source: Clera careers (Ashby)

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