Founding Hardware Engineer
You will take ownership of the hardware architecture of our robots, from a part designed in the morning to a prototype tested in the field the same afternoon.
Soraccel develops a new generation of ground robots for missions where mobility, autonomy and reliability are vital. A dual-use robotics startup based in Paris-Saclay, on the CentraleSupélec campus, we are today a team of five.
We build wheeled quadruped robots able to operate in urban areas, rubble, underground networks and dense forests — places where traditional platforms fail and where human intervention carries the greatest risk.
Our ambition is to bring the physical AI revolution to the professionals who risk their lives carrying out their missions, and to reduce the danger faced by operators in defence, security and the most critical industries.
Founded in 2025, Soraccel has already been recognised at European level: the company was selected for a challenge on robotic autonomy run by the German agency for disruptive innovation, and won DefTech Forges, a European defence-startup competition organised jointly by Europe and the Ukrainian innovation agency.
As Founding Hardware Engineer, the first engineer dedicated to mechanics and electronics, you will work directly with the founders and take ownership of the hardware architecture of our robots. You will be a cornerstone of the design of our first products and of the build-out of the future hardware team.
This position sits at the crossroads of mechanical design, electronics, embedded systems and robotic integration. You may design a part in the morning, assemble a prototype in the afternoon, then put it to the test in the field with end users. You will work with the software team to build coherent, robust and maintainable systems.
You combine an understanding of the complete system with hands-on design and prototyping practice, advancing the product through short iteration cycles until it is ready for production.
- Design the robot's hardware architecture and arbitrate trade-offs between mobility, mass, power, endurance, cost and reliability.
- Design and size mechanical assemblies: chassis, joints, transmissions, sensor mounts and protective covers.
- Design the electrical architecture, schematics and harnesses; develop the required electronic boards and integrate actuators, motor controllers, batteries, compute units and sensors.
- Manufacture, assemble and bring up prototypes; diagnose mechanical, electrical and thermal failures.
- Define test campaigns, instrument the robots and validate their performance and robustness on the bench and in real conditions.
- Prepare industrialisation: process and supplier selection, bills of materials, drawings, tolerances, assembly and maintenance.
- Set the hardware engineering standards, document design decisions and contribute to future hires on the team.
First and foremost, we are looking for someone who builds, learns fast and takes responsibility. Curiosity, technical pragmatism and what you have already made count for more to us than a perfect list of skills on a CV.
- You work with intensity and passion because the mission genuinely drives you.
- Ambitious, proactive and committed to the collective, you defend your convictions while fully welcoming feedback, with the goal of achieving as a team what initially seemed impossible.
- You like going into the field, confronting ideas with reality and learning quickly from what doesn't work. You are enthusiastic about travelling across Europe for customer demonstrations.
- You tackle difficulties head-on and treat every failure as a valuable source of information to progress.
- You like pushing beyond the boundaries of your specialty and understanding the full system when a problem involves mechanics, electronics or software.
- You thrive in a small team with no unnecessary layers, where decisions are fast, responsibilities are significant, and everyone steps in where they can have the most impact.
- Proficiency with a 3D CAD tool, assembly design, technical drawings and mechanical sizing.
- Hands-on experience designing, manufacturing and debugging robots, drones, vehicles or mechatronic systems.
- Practical electronics design skills: schematics, board layout, power supply and electrical interfaces; proficiency with bench measurements and diagnostics.
- Ability to go from CAD model to working prototype, then diagnose problems at the interface between mechanics, electronics and software.
- Professional English, written and spoken.
- Legged or wheeled robotics, electric actuators, gearboxes, mechanism dynamics and structural calculations.
- Motor and battery sizing, power electronics, BMS, thermal management and electromagnetic compatibility.
- Machining, sheet metal, additive manufacturing; design for manufacturing and assembly, small series and supplier follow-up.
- Integration of sensors and embedded compute; CAN, EtherCAT, Ethernet, microcontrollers or embedded firmware.
- Validation of systems exposed to shock, vibration, dust and humidity; sealing, electrical safety and maintainability.
- Help build the technology, the culture and the team that will make Soraccel a leading European player in dual-use robotics, with the stated ambition of having an impact at global scale.
- Take on a level of responsibility rarely available in a more established company, and carry complete systems from design through to operational deployment.
- Work directly with the founders within a team of passionate people, and weigh in concretely on architecture, roadmap and key decisions.
- Enjoy real autonomy on difficult technical problems, with direct influence on the product, the company and the lives of the users of our solutions.
- Share in the value created through competitive compensation, the possibility of equity participation, and growing responsibilities as Soraccel grows.
If European sovereignty drives you and you are determined to dedicate your talent and energy to building robots that protect human lives, we would like to meet you.
Send your CV along with anything that shows what you can actually build: a portfolio, photos or videos of prototypes, design projects, a GitHub, or a system you took all the way to field testing. A few lines on why you want to join Soraccel and the technical project you are proudest of will be appreciated more than a generic cover letter.