Forward Deployed Robotics Engineer

Job description

At Orchard, we’re securing America’s food supply by building the AI Farmer that automates our nation’s farms. We are the industry leader, growing rapidly, and backed by more than $25 million from leading investors, including Quiet Capital, Shine Capital, and General Catalyst. Every year, hundreds of billions of dollars in crop value are lost because critical farming decisions are made using incomplete and imprecise data. We’re building the technology to change that. Our AI-powered camera systems mount to tractors and scan millions of trees, vines, and plants, capturing precise data on yield estimates, fruit size, crop health, disease, and more. We train edge vision AI models that analyze every plant and determine exactly what interventions and treatments it needs. That intelligence flows into FruitScope OS, our farm-management platform, where growers can understand their crops, make better decisions, and direct operations in the field. Today, Orchard’s technology is trusted by some of our nation’s largest farms. They use our products to grow higher-quality crops while reducing chemical use and operating costs, helping them farm more profitably and sustainably than ever before. OUR CULTURE: - Unshakeable Resilience – Our customers feed millions of people, and our customers depend on us. We are ultra-hardworking, never give up, and we do whatever it takes. - Always Keep Moving – We move fast, waste no time, and have an extreme bias towards action. Progress compounds every day, and our impact is measured in decades. - Improve Everything – At 1% success, we save millions of pounds of food from going to waste. If we are 100% successful we will impact the lives of billions of people across the world. - Farmers First – Every team member spends at least a few days in the fields with our farmers each month. - No Job Beneath Us – We’re low ego, own every outcome, and are all working towards the same goal. THE ROLE: As a Forward Deployed Robotics Engineer at Orchard, you'll apply your cutting-edge robotics expertise at real-world farms. You'll deploy, develop, and implement our AI-powered camera systems in the fields. You'll spend about 50% of your time traveling to beautiful farms (apple orchards, vineyards, nut farms, strawberry farms, etc) across California, Washington, and occasionally other parts of the country. You'll work closely with our farmers, sales team, and engineers, rapidly solving problems and iterating on our technology in the fields. The remaining 50% of your time will be spent remotely, working with our core engineering team from home. You'll thrive if you enjoy technology and nature, are highly self-driven, and love engaging directly with customers. About the Role: - Full-time, remote role with frequent travel (approximately 50% farm-based, 50% work-from-home). - Frequent flying/driving/hotel stays near farms, typically involving scenic drives of 1-3 hours to customer fields (all travel expenses fully covered by the company). - Many opportunities to directly influence product development. - Perfect if you are a hardcore engineer who also loves nature. - Comprehensive Health, Vision, and Dental coverage, and we cover 100% of the premium. - Our team is close-knit & highly driven, you’ll work directly with our CEO and entire team. - We’re deeply motivated by the impact we’re making – every line of code written or new system built means less food that goes to waste, and more people who are fed. What You'll Do: - Deploy, debug, and develop the next generation(s) of our advanced, tractor-mounted camera systems at customer sites, ensuring they perform exceptionally in diverse farm environments. - Work closely with our farmers to deeply understand their operational needs, gather insights, and translate their feedback into real improvements. - Partner with our sales team during customer demonstrations to showcase Orchard's technology to new farmers. - Innovate and prototype creative solutions to unique problems encountered in the field, leveraging your robotics and engineering expertise. - Be a generalist, supporting different parts of our software and hardware stack if needed. What Makes You a Good Fit: - 1-3 years of relevant experience in industry or academia. - Strong technical skills in robotics (Python, C++, embedded hardware, computer vision, localization, sensor fusion, or robotics hardware). - You don't mind frequent travel, spending time out in the fields, and love the outdoors. - Self-motivated, able to solve problems independently and thrive in unstructured environments. - Excellent interpersonal skills and genuine excitement about engaging with customers. - Must not have allergies to common agricultural products (nuts, apples, grapes, strawberries, blueberries) Bonus Points: - Experience optimizing robotics algorithms for embedded platforms (e.g., NVIDIA Jetson). - Familiarity with agriculture or outdoor equipment. - Previous startup, outdoor adventure, or field deployment experience. If you're looking to help make a positive impact in the world by building the future of farming, come join us!