Robotics Test & Troubleshooting Technician
Full time · Posted 16D AGO
USD 38–50
About Tutor
We believe general-purpose, generally-intelligent robots will be built in our lifetimes. Robots will work in our factories, move our goods, walk on our streets and eventually be in our homes. To build that future, research and deployment must work in lockstep: real-world operation must make the technology better and better technology must make deployment easier. We're looking for the thinkers, builders, and researchers who want to be part of that loop.
As an AI robotics company that deploys its inventions directly into the facilities that need them, on state-of-the-art hardware, everything we build at Tutor has a direct impact on the global, physical economy. In 2026 we opened our first manufacturing facility in Watertown, MA, and we're scaling to 1,000+ robots in the field by 2028.
Our Culture
We believe that something truly special can happen when talented, motivated people work together; at Tutor, every member of our team is empowered to have real impact in everything that they do. We're characterized by both technical excellence and next-level collaboration and respect.
The Role
You'll take a robot fresh off the assembly line, power it up, bring every system to life, and own it until it's tested, documented and ready to ship. When it doesn't work, and some won't, you'll find out why with a meter and a schematic, fix it, and make sure it stays fixed.
This isn't a pass/fail checklist job. If you've commissioned, repaired or brought up complete machines (robots, packaging lines, AGVs, CNC or similar), this is your kind of work.
The robot is an autonomous palletizer: a collaborative robot arm on a battery-powered mobile base, with vacuum tooling, sensors and safety circuits. Every one you release goes to a real warehouse. You're the last set of hands before the customer.
What You'll Do
- Receive robots from the line, inspect wiring workmanship and perform a safe first power-up
- Bring up each subsystem: DC power and battery, CAN communications, robot arm and controller, mobile base and drives, sensors, vacuum and safety circuits
- Load and verify software, firmware, calibrations and configurations using our tools and procedures
- Run functional and final acceptance tests, including multi-hour continuous runs
- Troubleshoot electrical, mechanical and configuration failures down to root cause
- Repair within approved procedures, then retest to prove the fix
- Tear down and bench-test returned parts to support failure analysis by our Quality & Reliability Engineer
- Log failures, repairs and test results in our manufacturing system, tied to each robot's serial number
- Prep robots for shipment: final checks, battery charge, arm stowing and paperwork
- Bring recurring problems to Production Engineering and Quality so they get fixed at the source
- Help train other technicians and build troubleshooting guides
- Follow electrical safety, ESD, lithium battery and lockout procedures
What Success Looks Like
- 90 days: You bring up, test and release robots on your own, and your failure logs are clear enough that engineering can act on them without asking you twice.
- 1 year: You're the go-to troubleshooter on the floor. Robots you release don't come back for issues we should have caught, and the guides you've written help new techs get up to speed faster.
What You Bring
- Hands-on experience troubleshooting and repairing complete machines: robots, industrial automation, field equipment or similar electromechanical systems
- Experience bringing machines up or commissioning them, not only assembling or running checklists
- Comfort reading electrical schematics, wiring diagrams and assembly drawings
- Confident with a multimeter on power, wiring and signal problems
- A sharp eye for wiring quality: crimps, ferrules, connector pins, strain relief and routing
- Working knowledge of DC power, motors, actuators, sensors and connectors
- A methodical approach: form a hypothesis, test it, find the cause, verify the repair
- Clear notes and communication, including knowing the difference between a confirmed cause and a guess
- Willingness to work extended hours during production pushes
Nice to Have
- Military electronics, avionics or field service technician background
- Cobot, AMR/AGV or battery-powered equipment experience
- Oscilloscope or CAN bus tools
- Basic Linux command line or networking
- Uses AI tools like Claude or ChatGPT to troubleshoot, look things up or write up findings
- IPC/WHMA-A-620 or similar wiring certification
- Technical school, associate degree or equivalent experience
This is a full-time, hourly, onsite role in Watertown, MA. The pay range is $38–$50 per hour, based on experience and skills demonstrated during the interview process.
Tutor offers competitive benefits including fully employer-covered health insurance, a managed 401(k), and regular in-office meals. We also offer unlimited PTO and holidays. We host social events and maintain a collaborative, low-ego work culture where people are trusted to take ownership and solve real problems. Tutor is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applicants from all backgrounds.
Why Join
- Own the robot. You don't just run a step. You take a robot from first power-up to ready to ship.
- Your fixes stick. Problems you find go to engineering and get fixed at the source, not worked around forever.
- Grow your skills. Work alongside hardware and production engineers on robot arms, mobile bases, batteries and safety systems.
- Real impact. Every robot you release goes to work at a customer site.
How We Work: Our Values in This Role
We hire against our values, and we'll interview you against them too. Here's what they look like in this seat:
- Love of the Game. Getting a dead robot running again is the best part of your day.
- Gumption. You don't wait for someone to tell you what's wrong. You grab the schematic and go find it.
- Beginner's Mindset. You ask why it failed, not just how to get it running, and you learn every system on the robot.
- Belief in Each Other. You write it down clearly so the next tech and the engineers can trust what you found.
- Keep Moving Forward. When the line is pushing, you stay methodical and keep robots moving.
- Customer Obsession. You're the last set of hands before the customer. Nothing leaves that you wouldn't put your name on.