Robotics Application Engineer - Hardware

About Ultra

Ultra builds industrial AI robots that are working in the real world today. Our robots automate mission-critical warehouse labor end-to-end, starting with e-commerce order packaging. We deploy fast, learn from real production data, and iterate aggressively. We already have a quickly growing number of revenue-generating robots operating in U.S. warehouses, and are now scaling towards thousands of deployments over the next few years. Our mission is simple: build the world's most useful and deployable robot.
WARNING: Robotics is not for the faint of heart. There are no silver bullets here. It is tiresome, unglamorous, and at times brutal work. The only way out is through, and the only way through is treacherous and unknown. Success will require teamwork - so we are building a world-class team to tackle some of the most exciting problems out there. We hope you join us.

Overview

We're seeking a Robotics Application Engineer to join our NYC-based team and own the technical journey from the moment a sale closes to the moment a robot goes live in a customer warehouse. You'll be the bridge between our sales and our field support team — gathering requirements, designing and building solutions in our lab to confirm deployment readiness, and handing off a production-ready deployment to our field team.
We are an early stage company moving very fast in a rapidly growing space, and welcome people from any background as long as you're excited to join our mission, drive immediate impact, and create a future where automation is accessible to all.

Who You Are

• You have a strong foundation in engineering, but also genuinely enjoy working with customers. You get energy from both a great customer conversation and a productive session designing and testing engineering solutions in the lab.
• You're organized and dependable to a fault. You own your timelines, communicate proactively, and the people counting on you always know where things stand.
• You have a knack for understanding how complex systems work — mechanical, electrical, software — and you don't stop digging until you've figured it out.
• You thrive in a high-trust, high-autonomy environment. You don't need to be told what the top priority is — you already know, and you're already on it.

What You'll Do

• Expand what our robots can do: take on new product types, packaging formats, and tasks, and turn them into proven, repeatable capabilities across the fleet.
• Reconstruct a customer’s environment as needed in our Brooklyn lab: get product samples and set up realistic test scenarios so we know the solution works before we deploy.
• Design clever solutions for new parts of tasks using a mechatronics toolbox: design, 3D print and assemble as needed, and test them on our robots.
• Work side-by-side with our robot pilots to prototype, run timing studies, capture performance videos, and iterate until we’re hitting the customer’s targets.
• Hand off to our field deployment team with everything they need: documented solution, schedule, requirements, and a robot that’s proven in the lab.

Bonus Skills

• Experience with robotic systems, warehouse or fulfillment environments, or industrial automation.
• Familiarity with Linux, networking, or scripting in Python.
• Experience sourcing components like actuators, sensors, cameras, or warehouse hardware.

Expected Compensation$110,000 - $150,000/annual salary + equity + benefits
This compensation range may be inclusive of several career levels at Ultra and will be narrowed during the interview process based on the candidate’s experience and qualifications. Adjustments outside of this range may be considered for candidates whose qualifications significantly differ from those outlined in the job description.
Equal Employment Opportunity StatementWe are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply.