Senior Director of Field Application Engineering

Xaba (https://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).) is at the forefront of AI-driven robotic automation, pioneering cutting-edge solutions to enhance industrial processes. Headquartered globally, with a team of collaborative scientists, engineers, and designers, Xaba operates in a remote-first and distributed environment. Join us in shaping the future of AI in robotics.

We are looking for a Senior Director of Field Application Engineering to lead our field application engineering organization and drive the successful deployment of advanced robotic systems with customers and strategic partners.

This role combines technical leadership, customer engagement, robotics expertise, and organizational development. The Senior Director will lead a team of highly hands-on application engineers responsible for taking robotic technologies from concept and prototype through integration, commissioning, and production deployment.

The ideal candidate is an experienced robotics leader who understands both the technical depth of industrial robotics and the realities of deploying robotic systems in demanding production environments. You will work closely with customers, sales, product, R&D, and operations teams to identify application opportunities, develop solutions, remove technical barriers, and ensure successful customer outcomes.

• Lead, mentor, and scale a high-performing global Field Application Engineering organization.
• Own the technical execution of customer deployments from initial discovery and feasibility through integration, commissioning, production ramp-up, and ongoing support.
• Serve as the senior technical leader and trusted advisor for strategic customers, partners, and complex robotic automation projects.
• Define and drive the organization's application engineering strategy, priorities, processes, technical standards, and best practices.
• Lead the design, integration, and deployment of advanced robotic systems across industrial manufacturing applications.
• Guide teams working with industrial robot platforms including ABB, FANUC, Universal Robots, KUKA, and other robotic systems.
• Provide technical leadership across robotic programming, motion planning, kinematics, controls, sensing, calibration, vision, lasers, actuators, tooling, and system integration.
• Oversee robotic applications including welding, machining, assembly, inspection, and other automated manufacturing processes.
• Partner closely with Sales and customers on technical discovery, solution development, demonstrations, proof-of-concepts, proposals, and strategic opportunities.
• Translate customer requirements and field learnings into product requirements, engineering priorities, and improvements to the company's technology and deployment methodology.
• Establish scalable processes, tools, software, documentation, and reusable solutions that reduce deployment time and increase engineering productivity.
• Drive the adoption and effective use of Python, C++, and AI-powered development tools such as Claude and AI coding assistants to accelerate the development, automation, troubleshooting, commissioning, and optimization of robotic workflows, while improving engineering productivity, software quality, and data-driven decision-making.
• Lead resolution of complex technical issues in the field, coordinating across robotics, software, hardware, product, and engineering teams.
• Develop strong relationships with robot manufacturers, technology partners, system integrators, and strategic customers.
• Establish and track KPIs for deployment success, engineering productivity, customer satisfaction, project execution, and technical quality.
• Represent the company with customers, partners, industry organizations, and at technical events.
• Regular national travel is expected, with occasional international travel to meet key stakeholders, partners and teams.

• 12+ years of relevant experience in industrial robotics, automation, robotic systems integration, or a related field, including significant technical leadership experience.
• Experience scaling robotic systems from prototype/POC to production deployment across multiple customer environments.
• Experience with advanced robotic applications, such as welding, machining, additive manufacturing, inspection, or complex fabrication.
• Experience with robot simulation/offline programming, computer vision, 3D sensing, or machine learning applied to robotics.
• Experience building or scaling a Field Application Engineering, Systems Engineering, or Solutions…