Forward Deployed Robotics Engineer

Company: Orchard Robotics
Location: San Francisco
Posted on: April 1, 2026

Job Description:

Orchard Robotics is a Series A startup backed by top VCs like Quiet Capital, Shine Capital, and General Catalyst. We're securing America’s food supply by building the AI farmer that automates our nation’s farms. We've raised over $25M in pursuit of our mission to help farmers farm more profitably and sustainably than ever before. What We Do: We start by collecting the most valuable data for farmers, telling them everything about what is growing on their millions of trees, across thousands of acres of farmland. We do this using advanced camera systems we build, that take pictures of every one of the billions of fruit in a farm. This data lives in our cloud data platform, FruitScope, that we've developed from the ground up to help farmers manage their crops with precision. Farmers across the nation use our industry-leading software to look at their data, make critical decisions, and command farming operations on a daily basis. Our technology is used today across some of the largest farms in the nation. 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!

Keywords: Orchard Robotics, Laguna , Forward Deployed Robotics Engineer, Engineering , San Francisco, California