The Company
Our mission at Miso Robotics is to deliver technology that elevates human potential in the commercial kitchen.
Our signature product is an AI-powered kitchen robot named Flippy which automates the dangerous operation of a restaurant’s fry station and cooks all sorts of fried items. Flippy is powered by a sophisticated AI platform driven by our proprietary and patented technologies.
A well known first mover in the space, Miso has raised over $130 million, much of it from equity crowdfunding, which we believe makes it THE most successful crowdfunding story in history. It has successfully piloted its products with the most prominent global brands in food, and now it’s time for the company to scale.
Over the past 18 months, the company added a new CEO and other senior leaders – all of whom hold decades of experience operating growth companies. Our CEO has a track record of successful exits, and we are backed, in part, by Ecolab (NYSE: ECL), a $70 billion public company which, as the global leader in sales of cleaning solutions to restaurants, truly knows how to operate at scale. Our new leadership team is evolving the company’s culture from early stage to growth stage with new processes and disciplines, and is supported by a board that includes the former President and CTO of OpenTable.
With Ecolab’s support, we are building a world-class team, and are looking for more exceptional people to join us. We’ve recently won multiple “best place to work” awards from Newsweek, Los Angeles Business Journal, and others.
The Role:
The Director of Engineering will play a critical role in guiding Miso through its next phase of growth and innovation. Reporting to the CTO, you will lead a multidisciplinary team of around 30+ engineers across software, hardware (mechanical and electrical), design and test, manufacturing, and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) and Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) systems. You will also spearhead the integration of offshore engineering resources, ensuring seamless collaboration and high performance.
Key Responsibilities:
- Leadership & Team Management:
- Lead, mentor, and develop a team of engineers, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence.
- Coach and support a talented, but young engineering team, ensuring their professional growth aligns with the company's strategic goals.
- Global Team Integration:
- Oversee the integration and management of offshore resources, particularly in software engineering, to complement and enhance in-house capabilities.
- Establish effective communication and collaboration practices across global teams.
- Engineering Excellence:
- Drive the development of cutting-edge hardware products that leverage AI, computer vision, perception, and machine learning.
- Ensure high-quality execution in all phases of product development, from concept to deployment.
- Identify and implement process improvements to optimize efficiency and scalability while leveraging existing frameworks.
- Strategic Collaboration:
- Partner closely with the CTO and other senior leaders to align engineering efforts with business objectives.
- Contribute to long-term strategic planning for Miso’s technology and product roadmap.
- Operational Oversight:
- Manage budgets and resources to meet engineering goals effectively.
- Maintain accountability for delivering projects on time and within scope, balancing speed and quality in a startup environment.
Qualifications:
- Proven experience managing engineering teams of up to 50 members, including software, hardware, and interdisciplinary functions.
- Demonstrated success integrating and managing global/offshore engineering resources.
- Deep understanding of robotics or similar hardware products that incorporate AI, computer vision, perception, and machine learning.
- Experience working in startups and thriving in fast-paced, dynamic environments.
- Strong leadership and coaching abilities with a track record of developing engineering talent.
- Familiarity with HIL, SIL, and manufacturing processes is a plus.
- Ability to implement and refine processes to drive team efficiency and performance.
- Exceptional communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to align diverse teams around common goals.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Advanced degree in engineering or a related field.
- Industry experience in robotics, automation, Autonomous Vehicles, Aerospace or similar sectors where robotics and AI are deployed will be valuable assets in this role.
- Understanding of the restaurant and/or food and Beverage space, and the unique challenges therein, is a huge plus.
Why Join Miso?
- Be part of a cutting-edge company revolutionizing an industry.
- Work with a passionate, driven team committed to innovation.
- Lead and grow a talented engineering team, shaping the future of robotics and AI solutions.
- Opportunity to implement new ideas and processes in a collaborative environment.
Benefits We Offer For This Role:
- Company Equity
- Flexible vacation
- Comprehensive benefits
- 401K plan
- Accelerated growth opportunities
$175,000-$195,000 per year plus meaningful equity
The stated compensation range reflects the targeted base salary range for candidates residing in the Los Angeles Metro area. If your salary requirements fall outside of the range, we still encourage you to apply.
At Miso Robotics, we are committed to fostering an inclusive, diverse, and equitable workplace where every team member is valued and respected. We believe that diversity in our team drives innovation and creativity, which is why we strive to create a welcoming environment for everyone, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or veteran status.
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What We Do
Miso Robotics is building AI-powered automation for commercial kitchens, starting with Flippy, the industry's first fully autonomous fry station robot deployed at commercial scale. If you're an AI or robotics engineer who wants to see your work in action every single day, solving real problems for real people, this is where that happens.
We're tackling one of the hardest robotics challenges: unstructured environments. Restaurant kitchens are chaotic, unpredictable, and unforgiving. Orders surge randomly, equipment varies by location, and there's zero tolerance for downtime. Our robots work alongside humans in 350-degree heat, handling multiple tasks simultaneously while adapting in real time. It's computer vision, motion planning, and AI decision-making at the edge, all day, every day.
Our tech stack is cutting edge. We use NVIDIA AI for vision and inference, custom motion control algorithms, and machine learning models that continuously improve from real-world data across dozens of live deployments. The impact is immediate and measurable. When a restaurant operator tells us our robot "had their back" during a lunch rush, or a worker says Flippy is their "best friend," that's our mission in action.
Beyond Flippy, our Innovation Lab in Pasadena develops next-generation kitchen automation. We're expanding into new stations, new tasks, and new capabilities. The kitchen of the future needs engineers who can build systems that actually work when the stakes are high and the environment is hostile.
You'll work with a team that includes product leaders from Amazon and Ring, robotics engineers solving novel manipulation problems, and a CEO who gets that great technology means nothing if it breaks down during dinner rush. We obsess over real-world performance, not lab demos.
Why Work With Us
We're revolutionizing food service with AI robotics that solve real labor challenges. Join us to build cutting-edge technology that's already deployed in major chains, work with a mission-driven team backed by strong funding, and shape the future of an industry ripe for innovation.
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