The Role
Lead technology strategy and execution for an AI-first robotics company: own the Manufacturing Language Model, CAD-to-execution platform, real-time vision, and ROS2-based self-programming robotics. Drive data, architectures, sourcing, edge/embedded compute, and scale the engineering and hardware teams across the US and UK to deliver production-ready automation.
Summary Generated by Built In
Physical AI isn't the future. It's here now – and you'll build it.
The Seat
What you'll build
What you'll bring
Who you are
Launchpad Build AI is the AI-first robotics company powering real-world assembly automation. Our world-first Manufacturing Language Model (MLMTM) lets a manufacturer stand up automation from nothing more than a photo, video, or CAD input — collapsing the time and cost of deploying robotics by up to half, and finally putting automation in reach of the high-mix, low-volume manufacturers who make up most of the sector.
That's the digital thread we've built: product CAD to a running assembly line, driven by AI. It's deployed in factories across the US and Europe today, backed by an $11M Series A from Lockheed Martin Ventures, Ericsson Ventures, Lavrock Ventures, Squadra Ventures, the Scottish National Investment Bank, PXN Group, CX2, and Cox Exponential.
We're reindustrializing ― addressing the labor shortage, rebuilding domestic competitiveness, and making automation something any factory can afford. The thesis is working and the hardest problems are still ahead. That's the job.
You own technology across Launchpad Build AI — research direction, architecture, what we build, and the technical organization spanning El Segundo and Edinburgh. You'll turn an AI-first thesis into shipping product and make the calls that decide where we invent and where we don't.
Here's the real problem. The technology to automate most manufacturing tasks already exists it's just financially disqualifying. Nobody spends $1M to automate a job a person does for $60k a year, so the work stays manual. The barrier was never capability. It's cost structure.
Fixing that is the mandate. We reinvent the economics of automation itself— through AI, software, and modularized hardware — until automating that job is the obvious call instead of a capital project. As CTO you sit at the center of it: setting the technical priorities and making the hard make, buy, or partner decisions that decide how the cost curve bends, not whether. The MLM is the first of its kind. There's no playbook for what comes next — you'll write it.
The Manufacturing Language Model (MLM). Our RAG LLM, trained on intelligence from live production environments and purpose-built for automation design. You own its direction, its data strategy, retrieval quality, and the jump from world-first demo to production reliability on the floor.
CAD → execution (DigiSolvAI). The platform that turns CAD into work instructions and a running assembly line. This is the core of the digital thread. You own closing the gap between design intent and what the line actually does.
Real-time computer vision. Inspection, part recognition, guidance, and the vision that powers self-programming — robust enough to survive a real production environment, not just a lab.
Self-programming robotics (Digitool). Assembly and control on our ROS2 stack, down to edge and embedded compute (Raspberry Pi-class and beyond). Sensor to actuator, yours.
Sourcing strategy. Hardware commoditizes; intelligence doesn't. You'll set BOM and sourcing strategy accordingly-standard, sourceable hardware where it's a commodity, proprietary effort reserved for where we actually win — and own build-vs-buy across the stack.
The team. Lead and grow the technical org across the US and UK - Engineering, Hardware, and Software. Set the bar. Recruit your equals.
Technical knowledge. Real depth across most of: ML / LLMs / RAG, computer vision, robotics and ROS2, embedded and edge compute, CAD, manufacturing, and industrial automation.
A track record of success. Ideally you've built technology of your own but making a lot of moving parts work together in production is hard, valuable engineering too, and we value it. What matters is real outcomes you can point to, not titles you've held.
A naturally inquisitive mind. You learn fast and on your own, dig into problems because you can't help it, and think independently instead of reaching for the standard answer.
You want to change the world, and you see this for what it is the intersection of three of the largest markets there are: AI, robotics, and manufacturing.
You're a builder. Aggressive about the mission, pragmatic about the path. You know which trade-offs matter and you make the hard calls, including on incomplete information. You care passionately about succeeding, with startup DNA that prioritizes "in the market and learning" over "in the lab and perfect."
Skills Required
- Deep experience with machine learning, LLMs, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG)
- Strong expertise in computer vision applied to real-time production environments
- Hands-on experience with robotics and ROS2
- Experience with embedded and edge compute (Raspberry Pi-class and beyond)
- Knowledge of CAD and the CAD-to-execution pipeline for manufacturing automation
- Proven track record shipping complex, production-grade systems integrating hardware and software
- Demonstrated experience leading and scaling technical teams across multiple locations
- Experience setting BOM and sourcing strategy and making build vs. buy decisions
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The Company
What We Do
CX2 (Cox Exponential) is the early stage venture vehicle for Cox Enterprises. Founded by technologists with decades of experience leading startups and building AI/ML products, CX2 partners with exceptional entrepreneurs and early stage companies to maximize their business potential.
