Lead Assembly Technician

About this role

ABOUT US

Foundry Robotics is building an AI-native robotics manufacturing company focused on deploying advanced assembly and production capability for leading robotics companies and national-security-critical hardware. Basically, we’re building robots that build robots.

Factory OS is building software that runs factories. Our platform spans cloud backends, on-prem services, and edge devices deployed on the factory floor. The operators, supervisors, and managers who use our tools need interfaces that are fast, reliable, and intuitive—even when network conditions aren’t perfect and the environment is demanding. This role is 100% in-person at our office in Emeryville.

THE ROLE

Assembly Technicians are the hands that turn designs into working machines. You will build, wire, assemble, test, and rework robots across a range of programs — prototype units one week, pilot production builds the next, and a same-day fix on a robot that has to ship tomorrow. No two builds look exactly alike, and the work changes as the platforms evolve.

We're hiring at three levels through this single posting: Assembly Technician I, Sr. Assembly Technician, and Technician Lead.

The core work is the same at every level; what changes is how independently you operate, how much you own, and how much the team leans on you to raise the bar. We'll level you based on your experience and the interview process. Whatever the level, you will own your builds end to end: quality, documentation, and the call to stop and flag something when it isn't right.

What You'll Do (all levels)

- Build and assemble electromechanical robot subassemblies and full systems to IPC-A-610 and J-STD-001 acceptance criteria, holding first-pass yield to a high, measurable standard.

- Solder, terminate, crimp, and route wiring and cable assemblies, and verify them with continuity and fault-isolation testing before anything moves downstream.

- Move fluidly between build types — prototype, engineering validation, pilot production, and field rework— without losing quality or pace.

- Perform on-robot rework and debugging, isolating and resolving mechanical and electrical issues directly on the unit.

- Read and work from schematics, wiring diagrams, assembly drawings, and BOMs, and catch the discrepancies between the drawing and the hardware in front of you.

- Run functional checkout and bring-up on completed robots, documenting results and escalating anomalies with enough detail to act on.

- Keep accurate, traceable build records, and keep the workspace safe, organized, ESD-compliant, and audit-ready.

The Levels

Assembly Technician I — 3–5 years of experience

- Executes builds from drawings and travelers with light oversight; solid soldering, wiring, and mechanical assembly fundamentals.

- Troubleshoots common electrical and mechanical faults and knows when to escalate.

- Owns the quality and documentation of your own work.

Sr. Assembly Technician — 5–9 years of experience

- Everything above, fully independently: takes an unfamiliar build with incomplete documentation and figures it out.

- Owns complex rework and debug, and drives process, fixturing, and documentation improvements alongside engineering. Surfaces design and process issues early enough to influence design-for-manufacturability decisions; mentors Technician I's.

Technician Lead — 10+ years of experience

- Leads builds end to end across programs: sequencing, handoffs, and the quality standard for the floor.

- Primary technician point of contact for design and manufacturing engineering on build readiness and DFM.

- Trains the technician team and sets the standard for how work gets done.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

- Craftsmanship: you treat error-free, repeatable work as the baseline and take real pride in what you hand off.

- Versatility: you are comfortable being handed an unfamiliar build with incomplete documentation and figuring it out.

- Diagnostic instinct: you isolate opens, shorts, binding, and misalignment methodically rather than by trial and error.

- Ownership: you finish what you start, flag problems early, and hold yourself to a standard before anyone has to ask.

- Collaboration: you partner naturally with design and manufacturing engineers, and you give feedback that makes the next revision better.

Minimum Requirements (all levels)

- High school diploma or equivalent, with hands-on experience in electromechanical assembly, robotics, aerospace, medical device, or comparable low-volume, high-mix build environments at the level listed above.

- Active J-STD-001 certification (Requirements for Soldered Electrical and Electronic Assemblies).

- Active IPC-A-610 certification (Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies).

- Proven ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, mechanical assembly drawings, and BOMs.

- Proficiency with hand and power tools (torque drivers, crimpers, strippers, heat guns) and

- measurement tools (multimeter, calipers). Strong soldering skills, including fine-pitch and through-hole rework, and solid troubleshooting ability

- across electrical and mechanical failures.

- Demonstrated ability to work independently with minimal hand-holding, take verbal direction, and run with it.

Preferred Qualifications

- Associate's degree in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering Technology, Electronics, Mechatronics, or a related field — or equivalent practical experience.

- IPC/WHMA-A-620 certification (cable and wire harness assemblies); familiarity with IPC-7711 / 7722 rework and repair standards.

- Experience with actuators, gearboxes, servo drives, sensors, or battery systems.

- Experience working from an MES, ERP, or traveler-based build tracking system; basic CAD proficiency for viewing and marking up drawings.

- Prior experience in a startup or rapid-iteration hardware environment where the build changes weekly.

- For Technician Lead: prior…