Head of Software Architecture, Embodied AI Platform
- Compensation
- $250K–$400K base + equity
- Work mode
- Hybrid/On-site
- Location
- Santa Clara, CA
- Industry
- Robotics · Embodied AI · Connected Devices
- Posted
- 12 Oct 2026
Your market value for this role
Compared with 17 live mandates (all Head of Function mandates).
Base salary only; excludes equity and bonus. Benchmark your own package →
The mandate
Own the architecture of an agentic software platform that manages general-purpose robots at fleet scale. Define a coherent system across connected devices, distributed services, data pipelines, and AI capabilities while remaining hands-on and growing the engineering team.
Key responsibilities
- Design end-to-end architecture for robot connectivity, fleet management, AI features, data pipelines, and model-training workflows.
- Set technical direction across frontend, backend, robot-side software, and infrastructure.
- Write and review code during foundational architecture work.
- Design safe integration of AI agents and learning capabilities into systems controlling physical robots.
- Grow the software platform team and establish engineering standards and architecture reviews.
What you bring
- 8+ years in software engineering and platform architecture, including system design ownership.
- Deep experience in distributed backends and frontend systems, connected devices, or IoT platforms.
- Hands-on expertise in API design, real-time communication, data pipelines, and edge/cloud architecture.
- Ability to integrate AI/agentic systems with appropriate safety guardrails.
- Strong technical leadership and willingness to work onsite five days per week in Santa Clara; visa sponsorship unavailable.
Location & engagement details
Santa Clara, California · On-site
Full-time, onsite in Santa Clara. Base $250K–$400K plus competitive equity. Relevant stack includes distributed systems, IoT, WebSockets, gRPC, pub/sub, APIs, data pipelines, fleet management, edge-cloud architecture, and OTA updates. Interview includes initial screen, CTO round, and CEO interview.
About this mandate
This is a live head of function mandate I refer executives to directly. The role sits in robotics · embodied ai · connected devices and is located in Santa Clara, CA on a hybrid/on-site basis, with compensation of $250K–$400K base + equity.
This is a confidential search. Read the brief above, then apply below for this role. The company name is shared once there's a close match and mutual interest.
Most senior mandates are filled this way — privately, before any listing exists. Read how unadvertised executive roles actually get filled.
- This is a confidential search. The company name and full role details are only discussed on a call with one of our recruiters if there is a close match.
- We use your details — your LinkedIn profile URL and email address — to match you against this mandate and any other closely matched roles.
- A verifiable email address, LinkedIn profile and a recent PDF resume are required. Submissions from bots, spammers or unverifiable profiles are removed.
- There is no call booking at this stage. Calls are scheduled only after we identify a close match.
Who I consider
- C-suite, EVP/SVP, VP and Head of function leaders
- Proven scale-up, venture-backed or enterprise leadership experience
- Track record of building and leading teams in the relevant function
Final hiring decisions rest solely with the hiring company. Outcomes depend on role availability and decisions made by the hiring team.
Apply — Head of Software Architecture, Embodied AI Platform
This application is for this role only. I review it against the brief above and contact you if there's a close match.
- This is a confidential search. The company name and full role details are only discussed on a call with one of our recruiters if there is a close match.
- We use your details — your LinkedIn profile URL and email address — to match you against this mandate and any other closely matched roles.
- Handled confidentially — your details are never shared without your consent.
- A referral is an introduction, not a guarantee of an interview or an offer.
- Final hiring decisions rest with the hiring company; outcomes depend on role availability and their decisions.