Field Robotics Team Lead - UK

Gravis Robotics is a high-growth Series A start-up backed by SoftBank, bringing Physical AI to the construction industry, turning heavy construction machines into autonomous robots.   Gravis began as an ETH Zurich spin-out, and our unique combination of learning-based automation and augmented remote control lets one operator safely conduct a fleet of earthmoving machines in a gamified environment.    Backed by deep robotics research and now deployed across multiple countries with leading construction and equipment partners, our team is rapidly growing to bring this technology to a trillion-dollar industry.    The Gravis RACK is a machine-agnostic retrofit kit that adds autonomy to excavators and wheel loaders from 10 to 100+ tonnes: LiDAR and camera sensing, GNSS RTK, networking hardware and rugged edge compute that works offline. Paired with the Slate tablet and our Copilot software, it lets an operator run a machine manually, with AI assistance, or fully autonomously.  Increasingly, we also build custom hardware to adapt our machines for highly specialized, robust applications beyond traditional excavation. About the role This is a high-ownership, high-visibility position. You'll lead the team responsible for deploying Gravis' autonomous machines across the UK, from initial site assessment through to live operations and support. You'll be the primary engineering point of contact for our UK customers, while working closely with our engineering teams in Zurich to shape how we scale deployments globally. This is not a purely managerial position. We expect our engineering leads to stay technically grounded, contributing to deployment architecture decisions, tooling improvements, and hands-on problem-solving in the field. At Gravis, we value close proximity to the work, and you'll regularly engage directly with field operations, customer sites, and the realities of deploying complex systems in the real world. We’re looking for an experienced and motivated Field Robotics Team Lead to build and guide our UK-based field robotics team that will deploy our autonomous machines on different sites. What you will do Team Leadership (40%) • Hire, onboard, and grow a high-performing team of field robotics engineers in the UK • Set clear goals, provide ongoing mentorship, and support each team member's professional development • Build a culture of technical rigor, ownership, and continuous improvement Deployment Ownership (40%) • Own end-to-end coordination and management of customer deployment, from scoping and planning through to live autonomous operations, enabling your team to execute on the ground • Define and continuously refine deployment processes, tooling, checklists, documentation and playbooks • Anticipate and resolve technical and operational risks before they become customer-facing issues Customer and Stakeholder Engagement (20%) • Serve as the primary technical interface for UK customers, building trusted relationships and managing expectations across the project lifecycle • Translate customer feedback and operational insights into concrete product improvements • Collaborate with Gravis leadership to align domestic strategy with global priorities • Partner with the teams in Switzerland to ensure field realities inform product roadmap decisions • Champion a feedback loop between field operations and R&D so deployment learnings drive platform improvements What we're looking for • Bachelor's degree or higher in Robotics, Mechatronics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Construction Management, or a related field (or equivalent hands-on experience) • 5+ years of experience leading technical engineering teams, including hiring, mentoring, and performance management • Proven track record of delivering complex technical projects on time, with strong organizational and prioritization skills across multiple parallel workstreams • Excellent communication skills, with the ability to engage credibly with both engineers and non-technical stakeholders including customers and executives Additional Beneficial Skills • Hands-on experience with mobile robots, ideally in construction, agriculture, mining, or automotive sectors • Background in customer-facing technical project or program management • Experience working across distributed, international teams • Familiarity with autonomous systems, sensor integration, or field deployment of hardware/software stacks • Knowledge and experience in heavy civil construction Location & Travel This role is based in the UK. You should expect frequent travel to deployment sites, especially in the London-Manchester corridor, as you build the team, get hands-on exposure to real customer environments and use cases, and establish operations on the ground. You will also spend several weeks at our headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, at the start of your tenure, working closely with our engineering, product, and operations teams to deeply understand our technology, processes, and culture before taking full ownership of the UK operation. Don't meet every requirement? If you're enthusiastic about the role but your experience doesn't match every qualification, we still encourage you to apply. You may still be the perfect fit for another position - tell us about how you could accomplish your best at Gravis with a cover letter. This is an opportunity to join a dynamic and versatile team, and to be part of a rapidly expanding startup that will revolutionize heavy construction. Gravis is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team, and do not discriminate based upon race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, gender identity, gender expression, disability, veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. We are an international team that is working to solve problems with a global impact: to facilitate efficient communication and collaboration, proficiency in English is a requirement for all roles.