Who We Are:
At Formic, we’re on a mission to revolutionize American manufacturing and create more abundance in the world. We believe in continuing the American legacy of innovation by making automation accessible to all manufacturers and increasing their factory productivity by 10x.
Built upon deep expertise in robotics and manufacturing, our unique Pay-for-Productivity robotics solutions combine the best automation technology, tools, and uptime services for manufacturers, paving the way for a new era of supercharged efficiency and competitiveness.
As the world faces growing pressure from rising costs and labor shortages, Formic is a uniquely powerful tool in overcoming these challenges. Fueled by our vision for a resurged “Made in America,” we’re growing fast - achieving 70% quarterly growth in customer count and ARR, with ~30% of our customers having already deployed multiple systems.
Supporting us in our mission, with investments thus far totaling over $60 million, are backers including Blackhorn Ventures, Mitsubishi HC Capital America, NEC, Lorimer Ventures, Translink Capital, Alumni Ventures, FJ Labs, Lux Capital, Initialized Capital and founders of multiple Fortune 50 companies.
About the Software Engineering team:
The Software Engineering team helps Formic define and build the User Experience for the next generation of industrial automation robotic systems. At Formic, we are revolutionizing how these systems are built, maintained, and operated, driving our vision for industrial automation to be as easy to deploy and operate as a printer.
Check out some of our recent projects here and here to learn more about what we are working on.
As our Robotics Lead Engineer, you will be working on designing, building and improving industrial robotic systems. We are disrupting how these systems are built, maintained, and operated and looking for engineers who are not afraid to question the status quo within industrial automation and bring AI, modern robotics and software development solutions to industrial robotics while continuing to expand their intelligence to make them more effective as well as easier to operate and maintain.
As Robotics Lead Engineer, you will:
- Oversee development and productization of in-house built robotics systems software
- Drive system design and enhancements to continuously improve all aspects of system operations: modularity, deployability, maintainability, etc
- Help with task assignments and coaching of more junior team members
- Lead improvements in development pipeline and tools such as Continuous Integration / Continuous Delivery (CI/CD), automated test infrastructure, simulation tools
- Provide input on Hardware design and component selection
- Design and build Robotic Control Software using traditional PLCs/Ladder logic and Industrial Computers with higher level languages such as Python/C++
- Work closely with HMI and Cloud teams to create seamless and intuitive system interactions
- Follow software development best practices such as code reviews, unit testing, continuous integration, etc.
- Partner with the Product team and other stakeholders to find optimal solutions to satisfy the requirements
- Participate in Scrum ceremonies
What makes you a great fit:
- Bachelor’s degree in Robotics, Computer Science, or equivalent experience/training
- 5+ years of relevant software experience within the robotics field, preferably in industrial automation
- Deep understanding of robotics theory
- Experience with robotics simulation environments such as RoboDK, RViz, Isaac Sim, etc.
- Knowledge of ROS, Linux, OpenCV and similar middlewares and operating systems
- Experience overseeing robotics project all the way to deployment
- Experience working with high level languages Python, C/C++, Rust
- Knowledge of various robotic arms, such as ABB, Kuka, Fanuc, etc.
- Understanding of communication protocols such as EtherNet/IP, Modbus and others
- Ability to work a hybrid schedule (3+ days/week and as needed) in our Woodridge, IL office
Total Rewards:
Total rewards packages at Formic consist of salaries benchmarked against similar stage growth companies, insurance (medical, dental, vision, life, STD, LTD), and equity in Formic itself. As an early stage startup, equity is an important part of our investment in you, and your investment in Formic. When Formic succeeds, we all succeed.
Final offer amounts are custom-crafted, based on the cash/equity ratio preference of the candidate, as well as their experience, geographical location and cost of labor, and more, and may vary from the range listed below. Ultimately we’re seeking top performers who will make a difference to our business, and we’re open to negotiating the compensation structure for the right candidate. The expected base pay range for this position is below.
Base Salary Range:
$115,000—$165,000 USD
What we look for:
We’re building a company from the ground up, so every single person we hire has a massive impact on our team, culture, and ability to accomplish our mission. While each individual brings their own unique skills and perspectives to Formic, we look for people who share our vision and act in alignment with our Operating Principles. If this sounds like you, Formic could be the place for you:
- Fearless Optimism: You share our ambitious vision of what we can accomplish. You’re aware of the challenges we will face as a startup doing new things in an old space, but you’re energized by the incredible opportunity we have to drive change for our customers, and for the manufacturing industry at large.
- Factories First: You have a strong customer focus, no matter who your customer is. You seek to make things easier and better for our customers, even if it makes your job a little harder.
- Today, Not Tomorrow: There are always plenty of projects to tackle in a startup, but you prioritize, take accountability for work, and have a bias toward action.
- Be Right Often: You don’t do things just because that’s how they’ve always been done. You keep looking for ways to improve, seek out feedback along the way, and back your decisions up with data.
- Made of Rubber: Just like rubber, when you fall you bounce back up. You know there’s going to be a lot of challenge and change in our work ahead but you are adaptable, resilient, and ready to thrive through it all.
- Good Baton Passes: You work with a desire to make things easier and better for your team members. You use empathy to understand the needs and goals of others and support each other so Formic can be successful together.
What We Offer:
Formic believes we do our best work when we are equipped to take care of ourselves and our loved ones. To support this Formic offers comprehensive benefits and perks for full-time US-based employees, including:
- Equity in Formic: your slice of ownership in a fast-growing Series A startup, backed by some of the best investors in the world
- 99% coverage on our base Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans (75% coverage for dependents) via Blue Cross Blue Shield and Guardian, with buy-up options, as well
- FSA & DCFSA
- Life insurance, Short-Term Disability, and Long-term Disability plans (covered at 100%) via Guardian
- Employee Assistance Program
- Paid parental leave
- Company-sponsored 401k
- Home Office Stipend for remote and hybrid roles
- Monthly Phone/Internet Reimbursement
- Flexible time off policy and 10+ company holidays
- Opportunity to join a talented and diverse team united behind our mission to revolutionize American manufacturing
As our team grows, our benefit and perk offerings for employees based outside of the United States will vary. We are happy to discuss these options with you as part of our recruiting and interviewing process. Temporary or contract positions are not eligible for Formic employee benefits and perks, except where legally required.
Formic is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or religious creed, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, marital status, family or parental status, disability, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. All employment decisions are based on a person’s merit, business needs, and role requirements. If you require further accommodations or have questions regarding accessibility of our roles, please reach out to [email protected].
Top Skills
What We Do
Formic is focused on unlocking robotic automation in small to mid-sized American manufacturers. Our innovative “Robotics-as-a-Service” model combines financial innovation with a firm understanding of robotics to enable manufacturing customers to deploy and scale automation quickly and with minimal risk.
Our mission is to make “building things” trivial and easy. Every factory should have access to unlimited “labor” through automation without the traditional barriers to entry.
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