Head of Robot Support Operations

You will build and lead Engineered Arts' global support function, turning a hands-on team into a scalable, international operation. You will own the customer's experience of our robots from installation through to end-of-life, covering fleet readiness, training, remote and field support, repair and refurbishment.

Our Ameca and Mesmer humanoid robots are known worldwide, appearing in the media, at trade shows and at high-profile events from Las Vegas to Dubai. As our installed base grows across continents, every customer needs to feel that expert help is close at hand, whether their robot is in a museum, a research lab, a corporate HQ or on a show floor.

This is a rare opportunity to build a function from the ground up. You will define how we install, maintain, diagnose and repair a complex hybrid of mechanical, electronic and software systems, decide what we build in-house and where partners make sense, and put in place the people, processes, SOPs and tools needed to support customers across time zones. You will also be the voice of the customer inside the business, feeding real-world insight into product, quality and engineering so our robots get better with every engagement.

You will report to the COO as a trusted strategic partner: someone who shapes our global support plans with senior leadership, then goes away and delivers them, building the team and the processes without needing close direction. Our internal motto is 'Be Wow'. Our robots are certainly wow, and you will make sure the experience of owning one is too.

This role can be worked remotely from the UK with extensive global travel expected

Main responsibilities

• Define the vision, structure and operating model for global support operations, covering fleet readiness, pre-delivery readiness, installation, training, remote support, field service, repair and end-of-life
• Accountable for a tiered support model (helpdesk, remote diagnostics, field engineering, escalation to engineering) with clear ownership and handoffs
• Accountable for international customer coverage, including follow-the-sun support, regional hubs, and the use of local partners or contractors where they make sense
• Define the build, partner or hybrid strategy for each part of the operation (e.g. support, installation, repair and refurbishment), with clear criteria for when to build in-house and when to use partners, and bring recommendations to senior leadership
• Build the business case for headcount, tools, spares and partners as the installed base grows, and own the support budget
• Own the support roadmap, and craft, uphold and report annual OKRs
• Define and own the processes and SOPs across support operations, and ensure they are followed, audited and kept current as the robots and software evolve
• Where partners are used, select, contract and manage them across any service area (e.g. support, installation, repair and refurbishment), setting performance standards and ensuring agreed SOPs and service levels are followed

Leading the Team

• Organise the team structure, roles and responsibilities, introducing team leads as the team and regional coverage grow
• Lead, coach and develop the Robot Support Engineers, setting clear goals and high standards
• Conduct regular team reviews, feedback sessions and annual appraisals
• Recruit engineers and operations staff across regions, and grow future team leads
• Accountable for engineer competence: define and own the training and assessment standard and sign-off for new and existing engineers, developed with the Assembly, Mechanical, Software and Product teams
• Plan and manage travel rotas, workload, time off and absence cover so the team balances field work, events and office time sustainably
• Protect team wellbeing across a frequently travelling team, and build a culture of root-cause problem solving, ownership and customer care
• Promote and uphold a strong safety culture in line with HSE requirements

Support Operations

• Accountable for the helpdesk and ticketing workflow: define and own triage, prioritisation and escalation SOPs and the knowledge base, ensuring they are followed
• Define tooling requirements for helpdesk, ticketing and knowledge management, and recommend solutions to Senior Leadership, who decide tooling to keep it standardised across the business
• Set, own and report service levels (response and resolution times, uptime, first-time fix rate) and customer satisfaction
• Own the secure remote access policy and process for customer robots, ensuring customer approvals, access…