How to apply for Robot Deployment Lead

About Built Robotics

Built Robotics is automating the solar industry to accelerate the transition to clean energy. Their autonomous equipment handles tasks like pile driving and trenching, making construction safer and more efficient. Working here means joining a pioneering team at the intersection of robotics and renewable energy, directly contributing to a sustainable future.

About the role

As a Robot Deployment Lead, you'll be the on-site expert ensuring our autonomous equipment operates flawlessly at customer sites. You'll train partners, troubleshoot issues, and act as the bridge between field operations and engineering. This role is critical for scaling deployments and shaping product improvements based on real-world feedback.

A typical day

You might start your day at a solar construction site, training a customer's operators on the autonomous pile driver and troubleshooting a sensor issue. Later, you'll debrief with the engineering team on a bug you identified, then prepare for an overnight deployment to test a new feature. Your day is a mix of hands-on technical work, customer interaction, and cross-functional collaboration.

Who Built Robotics is looking for

• 5+ years of hands-on experience maintaining and repairing heavy equipment (e.g., excavators, bulldozers) with a strong mechanical aptitude.
• Proven ability to design and fabricate prototypes using soldering, metalworking, and woodworking tools, and comfortable installing sensors and electronics on machinery.
• Excellent communicator who can train operators, explain technical concepts to non-technical partners, and collaborate effectively with engineers.
• Adaptable and willing to work overnight shifts and travel frequently to job sites, with a relentless attention to detail and safety.

Tips for this application

• Highlight specific instances where you deployed or maintained heavy equipment in the field, emphasizing any autonomous or robotic systems you've worked with.
• Showcase your fabrication skills by describing projects where you designed and built custom components, especially if they involved sensors or electronics.
• Demonstrate your ability to work with customers by providing examples of training sessions or support you've delivered to operators.
• Mention your willingness to work overnight shifts and travel, as this is a key requirement for the role.
• Research Built Robotics' technology and mention how your experience aligns with their mission to automate solar construction.

What to cover in your cover letter

In your cover letter, emphasize your hands-on experience with heavy machinery and any robotics integration. Highlight your communication skills by describing how you've successfully trained or supported customers in the past. Express your enthusiasm for clean energy and Built Robotics' mission. Finally, give examples of your adaptability and problem-solving in field deployments.

Research before applying

• Learn about Built Robotics' autonomous equipment, such as the RPD 35 and their solar pile driving technology, by reviewing their website and press releases.
• Understand the solar construction industry's challenges and how automation addresses them, including safety, efficiency, and labor shortages.
• Research Built Robotics' company culture and values, focusing on innovation, safety, and customer partnership.
• Look into recent news or blog posts about Built Robotics' deployments and partnerships to understand their market traction.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• Describe a time you diagnosed and fixed a complex mechanical or electrical issue on heavy equipment in the field.
• How would you train a customer's operators to use an autonomous system safely and effectively?
• Walk us through a project where you fabricated a custom part or modified equipment to solve a problem.
• Explain how you would handle a situation where a robot is not performing as expected and the customer is frustrated.
• What steps do you take to ensure safety when deploying and operating heavy machinery on a job site?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Avoid emphasizing only office-based or theoretical experience without concrete examples of hands-on work with heavy equipment.
• Do not neglect to mention your ability to communicate with customers and operators, as this is a key part of the role.
• Avoid showing reluctance to travel or work overnight shifts, as these are essential requirements.