Chief Technology Officer (CTO) / VP of Engineering - Growing Robotics Company

🤖 Chief Technology Officer (CTO) / VP of Engineering - Growing Robotics Company 📍 Oklahoma City, OK or Austin, TX | 🏢 On-site / Hybrid | 💼 Executive Leadership | 💰 $225K–$250K + Bonus + Equity Career Staffing Talent (CST) has partnered with a fast-growing and scaling robotics company seeking a Chief Technology Officer / VP of Engineering to architect next-generation robotics platforms and build a world-class engineering organization. This is a hands-on executive role for a technical leader who has shipped robotics products, built high-performance engineering teams, and thrives in a fast-moving, venture-backed environment. You will directly shape product architecture, recruit elite engineers, and deliver robotics platforms that unlock significant new revenue and market expansion. 🚀 Why This Role Matters You will lead the engineering organization responsible for delivering next-generation robotics systems. This role sits at the center of product, engineering, investor relations, and commercial strategy. 🛠️ What You’ll Be Doing 🏗️ Product & Technical Leadership • Architect robotics platforms spanning hardware, firmware, perception, and software • Lead development and launch of next-generation robotics systems • Establish scalable engineering standards, testing frameworks, and architecture • Drive improvements in perception latency, accuracy, and system reliability • Build software-defined robotics capabilities replacing legacy PLC-based workflows 👥 Engineering Team & Organizational Growth • Recruit and scale a high-performing engineering team across robotics disciplines • Develop technical leads, mentorship programs, and career progression frameworks • Implement hiring standards, performance management, and engineering culture • Build an organization capable of delivering ambitious product roadmaps 📈 Strategic & Commercial Impact • Translate market and customer needs into technical roadmaps • Support sales efforts through customer meetings and technical presentations • Present technical strategy and progress to executives, investors, and board members • Partner closely with CEO, operations, and commercial leadership Required Experience 🧠 What We’re Looking For • 12–15+ years in robotics, autonomous systems, or industrial automation engineering • Proven track record shipping robotics products from concept through production • Experience leading engineering teams (5–25+ engineers) • Deep expertise in multiple areas such as: • Robotics perception (vision, LiDAR, sensor fusion) • Motion planning and control systems • Embedded systems and real-time software • Robotics kinematics and dynamics • Strong hands-on technical leadership—code reviews, architecture, debugging Strongly Preferred • Aerospace, defense, or industrial robotics background • Experience scaling engineering teams in growth-stage companies • Familiarity with ROS / ROS2 and modern robotics frameworks • Experience with safety-critical or industrial systems 🌎 Location & Travel • Based in Oklahoma City (preferred) or Austin, TX • Regular travel between both locations required 🎯 Ideal Profile You are a hands-on technical executive who can scale engineering organizations, solve complex robotics challenges, and deliver real products—not just strategy. You thrive in fast-moving environments and know how to turn ambitious technical visions into shipped systems. This is NOT a pure people-manager role. This is for a builder. If you’ve built robotics systems in aerospace, defense, industrial automation, or advanced manufacturing — and want to lead something meaningful at scale — let’s talk. 📩 Confidential inquiries welcome.