Hardware Systems & Lab Engineer, Robotics & Operations

Hardware Systems & Lab Engineer, Robotics & Operations

Join to apply for the Hardware Systems & Lab Engineer, Robotics & Operations role at Basis Research Institute

Basis is a nonprofit applied AI research organization with two mutually reinforcing goals.

The first is to understand and build intelligence
. This means to establish the mathematical principles of what it means to reason, to learn, to make decisions, to understand, and to explain, and to construct software that implements these principles.

The second is to advance society’s ability to solve intractable problems
. This means expanding the scale, complexity, and breadth of problems that we can solve today, and even more importantly, accelerating our ability to solve problems in the future.

To achieve these goals, we’re building both a new technological foundation that draws inspiration from how humans reason, and a new kind of collaborative organization that puts human values first.

The Hardware Systems & Lab Engineer combines two critical functions: designing and building robot hardware systems, and managing the safe, efficient operation of our robotics laboratory. You will create the physical platforms that embody our AI research while ensuring the lab environment enables rapid, safe experimentation.

We are looking for someone who combines hands‑on engineering skills with operational excellence. The ideal candidate has experience building custom robotic systems, understands the full mechatronics stack from sensors to actuators, and knows how to run a lab where researchers can work safely and productively. You will design modular hardware for testbeds, build sensor/actuator systems for experiments, and maintain the infrastructure that makes physical AI research possible.

We seek individuals who excel at both building and operating, who treat safety as paramount, and who understand that great research requires great infrastructure.

• Have demonstrated expertise in robotic hardware development, e.g., designing and building custom robotic platforms, integrating sensors, actuators, and compute systems, creating modular reconfigurable hardware systems, troubleshooting complex electromechanical systems.
• Possess strong mechatronics skills spanning mechanical design (CAD, fabrication, assembly), electrical engineering (circuit design, power systems, signal processing), and embedded systems (microcontrollers, real‑time control, ROS).
• Have experience with lab management and safety including developing safety protocols, maintaining equipment inventories, organizing work spaces, and training users on proper procedures.
• Understand the research–hardware interface. Translate researcher needs into hardware specifications, anticipate common failure modes, and design systems that balance capability with reliability.
• Be skilled at rapid prototyping and iteration. Build proof‑of‑concept systems quickly, identify issues through testing, and iterate designs based on experimental results.
• Value documentation and maintainability. Create clear documentation for hardware designs, maintain accurate BOMs, and design systems that others can understand and modify.
• Progress with autonomy while ensuring safety. Manage multiple hardware projects, prioritize based on research needs, and make decisions that balance speed with safety.

• Experience at leading robotics labs (academic or industry).
• Background in research environments with understanding of experimental needs.
• Expertise in specific areas like soft robotics, bio‑inspired design, or micro‑robotics.
• Experience with ROS 2 and modern robot software stacks.
• Teaching or training experience for lab safety and procedures.
• Project management experience for complex hardware builds.

• Design and build custom robotic platforms for experiments, including manipulators, mobile robots, and specialized end‑effectors for research tasks.
• Develop modular hardware systems for testbeds that can be reconfigured to test different morphologies and validate co‑designed robot architectures.
• Create sensor and actuator modules that integrate with research software,…