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

Chief Technology Officer (CTO) / VP of Engineering

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

What We're Looking For

Required Experience

• 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.