Senior Technologist

About Foundational Industries

Foundational Industries is an investment platform and operating company purpose-built to catalyze the reindustrialization of America. We invest in upgrading legacy manufacturing assets with next-generation AI-native robotics systems, deploying capital, technology, and execution expertise to modernize U.S. industry. We work at the intersection of private equity, advanced manufacturing, and artificial intelligence.

The Role

We are hiring a Senior Technologist to drive the design and implementation of AI-robotics systems within legacy manufacturing environments. This role is foundational (pun intended) to our strategy—it bridges our capital deployment capabilities with the reality of boots-on-the-ground industrial execution.

The ideal candidate brings deep experience in applying automation technologies in production settings, understands the frontier of industrial AI-robotics (even if not building it), and can credibly partner with both internal technical teams and legacy plant operators.

Key Responsibilities

• System Design Leadership: Translate Foundational’s AI-robotics thesis into actionable system architectures that integrate with real-world manufacturing lines. Assess feasibility, cost, and performance tradeoffs.

• Embedded Implementation: Work shoulder-to-shoulder with legacy manufacturing teams to guide, troubleshoot, and de-risk AI-robotics deployments.

• Vendor + Tech Evaluation: Identify and evaluate third-party robotics and automation vendors (e.g., RFM-based generalist systems, advanced sensor-fusion platforms, etc) for integration into existing production environments.

• Productize Execution : Codify best practices for system deployment, technology evaluation, and integration frameworks into advanced digital platforms.

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Deep Implementation Experience: Proven track record deploying automation systems in brownfield environments across multiple sites or companies.

• Industrial Credibility: Can work seamlessly across the C-suite, plant managers, and line engineers. Gravitas with both capital allocators and factory operators.

• AI-Robotics Fluency: Familiar with current trends in AI-enabled robotics (e.g., Robotic Foundation Models, edge AI, sensor fusion technologies). Don’t need to build it—just know what’s real vs. hype.

• Hybrid Mindset: Equal parts architect, operator, and translator. Can scope the tech stack and walk a factory floor.

• Relevant Backgrounds Might Include:

  • Director or VP-level technology-forward contract manufacturers or industrial systems integrators

  • In-house automation lead for large scale industrial manufacturing company

  • Experienced consultant or delivery lead from automation-focused engineering firms or industrial PE operating teams

Why Join Foundational?

• Shape the next generation of American manufacturing

• Work with visionary investors, operators, and technologists

• Build first-of-their-kind AI-robotics systems in real-world factories

• Get in early and influence the DNA of a company poised for national impact

• Opportunity to leverage operational expertise in a transactional, investment-oriented environment

Logistics & Compensation

• Location: We are primarily New York–based. We prefer candidates who can be in NYC regularly; for an exception Senior Technologist we will consider building out a remote office.

• Work Model: In‑office 3–4 days per week, with greater flexibility during July/August.

• Compensation: Market‑competitive base and benefits, performance‑based bonus, and meaningful long‑term upside as an early member of a fast‑growing team.

• Compensation Philosophy: Our philosophy is simple: we compensate exceptional outcomes exceptionally.