Vice President, Robotics

This role is based in our NYC or San Fran office. (We're open to remote in Boston)

Aescape is a pioneering lifestyle robotics company that recently announced the world's first commercially available, fully automated AI-powered massage experience. We are in a period of rapid growth, launching our category-transforming product throughout 2024 with global leaders in hospitality, wellness, sports and fitness.  

Publications like WIRED, Fast Company, Popular Science, Sports Business Journal, Fortune and Now This News have covered our news, with remarkable enthusiasm. 

We are looking for a visionary Vice President, Robotics to lead our Controls, Motion Planning, Task Planning, and Perception teams. As a key member of our leadership team in this newly-created role, you will be responsible for driving the development and implementation of cutting-edge algorithms and technologies that power our robotic systems. We’re looking for a strategic thinker, a technical expert, and a collaborative leader who thrives in a fast-paced, dynamic environment. 

Backed by $85M in funding from investors like Valor Equity Partners (an early investor in Tesla and SpaceX), we've assembled a team of top talent across connected hardware and fitness from industry giants like Amazon, Apple, Peloton, Tonal, Uber, and more to bring people and robotics together for better living.

This is an opportunity to shape the future of robotics by driving innovation and establishing Aescape as a visionary thought leader in the field. If you're interested in learning more, please apply.

What You’ll Do 

• Organize, lead, and mentor the robotics engineering team in the design, development, and implementation of advanced perception, control algorithms, motion planning algorithms, and task planning strategies.

• Define and drive the overall technical strategy and roadmap for robotics controls, motion planning, and task planning, ensuring alignment with business objectives and market needs with a focus on delivery and execution.

• Develop scalable hiring strategies, lead recruitment efforts, implement effective onboarding and training programs, and promote continuous learning and innovation while prioritizing team satisfaction and retention.

• Foster our culture of cross-functional collaboration, including hardware engineering, software engineering, product management, and program management, to ensure delivery of massage experiences that exceed member expectations.

• Own and drive robotics innovation through investments in an R&D function, establishing partnerships with universities/research labs, and actively showcasing the company's robotics advancements at conferences and industry events.
  

What You’ll Bring

• Master's or PhD preferred degree in Robotics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.

• Successful track record of leading engineering teams shipping robotics products into production environments. 

• Experienced in leading, coordinating, motivating, and mentoring robotics engineering teams of 20 or more, with a proven track record in hiring and team development.

• Thought leadership and achievements in robotics research, development, and innovation, with a focus on controls, motion planning, and task planning.

• Proficient in core robotics technologies such as deep reinforcement learning, imitation learning, object detection, semantic segmentation, and SLAM, with a demonstrated ability to apply these in practical robotics contexts.

• Experience or strong interest in state-of-the-art robotics techniques such as graph neural networks, sim-to-real transfer learning, explainable AI for robotic systems, advanced deep reinforcement learning methodologies (e.g., distributional reinforcement learning, meta-learning), cutting-edge object detection and semantic segmentation techniques (e.g., instance segmentation, panoptic segmentation), and state-of-the-art SLAM approaches optimized for dynamic and complex environments (e.g., graph-based SLAM, learning-based SLAM).

• Deep expertise in robotics algorithms and software development, including, but not limited to:

  • Control theory and algorithms (e.g., PID control, adaptive control, robust control).

  • Motion planning algorithms (e.g., sampling-based methods, optimization-based methods, trajectory generation).

  • Behavior planning and recommendation systems (e.g., reinforcement learning, Markov Decision Processes, Bayesian modeling).

• Experience with robotics simulation tools and frameworks (e.g., ROS, Gazebo, Drake, V-REP).

• Excellent communication, collaboration, and leadership skills, with the ability to inspire and motivate teams to achieve ambitious goals.

Bonus Points

• Experience in medical device development or in regulated environments, demonstrating adeptness in meeting strict compliance standards and ensuring product safety.

• Proficiency in developing safety-critical systems, emphasizing a strong understanding of risk assessment and mitigation strategies.

• Established expertise in creating and maintaining custom tooling for robotics applications, exemplified by the ability to enhance operational efficiency and address specific project needs.

What’s In It For You 

• Join a trailblazing tech company anticipated to transform the massage industry

• The chance to make a difference with a product that empowers healthier and happier living

• Team culture driven by passion, ambition, empowerment, inclusion, curiosity, and fun!

• We’ll grow together – your personal and professional growth are equally important

• An environment that empowers individuals, emboldens teams, and rewards achievement

• Early stage equity in a company led by serial entrepreneurs with multiple exits

• Employee Medical, vision, and dental insurance premiums covered by Aescape

• 401k with 4% company match

• Unlimited vacation, generous parental leave 

• Working late? Dinner is on us.

• Competitive pay + bonus + equity plan. The salary range for the role is $255,000-$345,000+

Begin Your Aescape Career Journey

At Aescape, we're on a mission to redefine self-care for a better world, and we're seeking trailblazers to join us on this journey. We're inspired by individuals who are passionate, driven, and eager to learn. We value diverse perspectives and resourceful, determined individuals who are committed to making a difference. At Aescape, we empower people to reach their full potential, just as our product empowers better living. If you're ready to innovate, create, and make a meaningful impact, we want you on our team.

YOUR JOURNEY. YOUR AESCAPE.