Senior Robotics Engineer - Machine Integration Lead

Location: United States - Minneapolis, MN

Pay: $97,500 - $150,600

With more than $1B in revenue, Tennant Company is a globally recognized leader in the cleaning equipment industry. For the past 150 years, we have been passionate about developing and manufacturing innovative and sustainable solutions for our customers. At Tennant Company, we are committed to stewardship and creating a cleaner, safer and healthier world. With manufacturing, operations and sales, service, and support functions across the globe, your journey at Tennant can take you places you never expected.

Position Overview

The Senior Robotics Engineer - Machine Integration Lead supports the TNC Robotics Product Development and R&D organization by leading machine-level integration and technical execution across complex electromechanical systems, embedded software, controls, and partner technologies, such as Brain Corp, used in TNC robotic cleaning solutions.

This engineer translates product and system requirements into integrated, compliant, robust, and cost-effective machine solutions. The role coordinates cross-functional engineering work, resolves system interface issues, leads integration and prototype events, and applies disciplined systems engineering practices throughout New Product Development (NPD). Success is measured by the quality and readiness of integrated designs, timely resolution of technical risks, effective cross-functional execution, and achievement of program performance, cost, quality, and compliance objectives.

Key Responsibilities

The Senior Robotics Engineer - Machine Integration Lead is responsible for coordinating technical execution against the system definition and development plan and for delivering system integration outcomes across NPD efforts:

• Technical Planning & Work Breakdown: Lead cross-functional planning for assigned machine systems and integration workstreams. Translate program objectives into a practical work breakdown structure with defined deliverables, interfaces, dependencies, milestones, and owners. Track execution, communicate status, and escalate technical risks, trade-offs, and corrective actions when program commitments are at risk.
• Requirements Translation & Specification: Translate customer, business, regulatory, and technical needs into clear system and subsystem requirements and specifications. Maintain linkage between requirements, design outputs, interfaces, and verification and validation (V&V) activities.
• System Architecture & Integration: Apply established system architecture to coordinate subsystem design and machine-level integration. Define and manage interfaces across mechanical, electrical, controls, embedded software, autonomy, communications, and partner systems. Verify that integrated solutions meet machine performance, cost, quality, serviceability, and reliability requirements.
• Technical Execution & Design Reviews: Plan and facilitate cross-functional technical reviews for assigned systems and integration deliverables. Ensure reviews address requirements compliance, interface maturity, technical risks, design decisions, V&V readiness, and readiness for prototype and production builds, including manufacturing, sourcing, quality, and service considerations.
• Prototyping, Integration & De-risking: Plan and coordinate prototype builds, bench testing, machine integration events, and proofs of concept. Use test results and structured learning to identify issues early, reduce technical uncertainty, and mature designs through the product development process.
• Verification, Validation & Issue Resolution: Support development of system-level V&V plans and DVP&R content. Coordinate testing, analyze results, lead structured troubleshooting and root-cause investigations, and drive issues to verified closure with appropriate engineering documentation.
• Partner Technology Integration: Coordinate integration of partner technologies by defining technical interfaces, supporting integration and verification plans, managing technical dependencies, and aligning internal and external teams on requirements, deliverables, issue resolution, and decision timing.
• Risk Mitigation & Compliance: Identify and evaluate design and integration risks using tools such as DFMEA and Hazard and Risk Analysis (HARA). Support compliance with applicable product safety, EMC, ESD, machinery, and robotic equipment standards.
• Cross-Functional Technical Leadership: Provide day-to-day technical direction within assigned workstreams. Build alignment across Systems, Software, Controls, Electrical, Mechanical, Test, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, Service, and external partners. Mentor less-experienced engineers and promote disciplined engineering practices.
• Engineering Documentation & Configuration: Ensure requirements, interface definitions, design decisions, risks, test evidence, open issues, and integration outcomes are documented and maintained within applicable engineering and product lifecycle systems.
  
  
  

Education & Experience

• Education: Bachelor of Science in Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics, Robotics, Systems, Computer Engineering, or a related engineering discipline from an accredited institution is required. A master’s degree is preferred.
• Experience: Minimum 5 years of engineering experience developing and integrating complex software-driven electromechanical products, including experience coordinating cross-functional technical execution.
• Robotics & Product Development: Experience with autonomous mobile robots, industrial equipment, mobile machinery, or similarly complex products is strongly preferred. Experience supporting a product through multiple NPD phases, from concept and prototype integration through verification, certification, and production launch, is preferred.
• Compliance Experience: Experience applying product safety and machinery standards to product design and verification is preferred. Exposure to IEC, UL, EMC standards and CE-marked machinery, or Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC is desirable.
  
  

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Technical Planning & Execution Leadership: Demonstrated ability to convert program objectives into actionable technical plans, establish deliverables and ownership, coordinate cross-functional dependencies, and drive completion of development, integration, and V&V milestones.
• Systems Engineering: Proficient in requirements development and decomposition, system architecture, interface definition, traceability, integration, verification, and validation. Ability to apply these practices pragmatically to complex robotic products.
• Machine & System Integration: Strong understanding of interactions among mechanical systems, electrical hardware, embedded controllers, sensors, actuators, communications networks, controls, autonomy software, and cloud- or partner-connected technologies.
• Risk-Based Engineering: Proficiency applying DFMEA, HARA, DVP&R, design reviews, and structured technical risk management to identify uncertainty early and prioritize knowledge-building and mitigation activities.
• Problem Solving: Proven ability to lead structured troubleshooting, root-cause analysis, and corrective action using methods such as 8D, fault-tree analysis, 5-Why analysis, and data-driven testing.
• Technical Communication: Ability to communicate complex technical issues, decisions, trade-offs, status, and recommendations clearly to engineering teams, program leaders, partners, and nontechnical stakeholders.
• Collaboration & Influence: Ability to build productive cross-functional partnerships, influence without direct authority, resolve interface conflicts, and maintain alignment across internal teams and external technology partners.
• Execution Discipline: Organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, maintain engineering documentation, follow through on commitments, and escalate issues with clear options and recommendations.

Total Compensation = Pay range + Benefits

Posted salary ranges are made in good faith. Tennant Co. reserves the right to adjust ranges depending on the experience/qualifications of the selected candidate as well as internal and external equity.  The salary range reflects both entry into the role and future growth. Total Compensation = Base Salary + Benefits

Benefits = A comprehensive benefits package including multiple medical plan options, 401(k) with a 100% match up to 6%, paid vacation time, 8 paid company holidays and 3 personal holidays dental and vision coverage, wellness rewards, robust family support programs, company‑paid disability and life insurance, and a full Employee Assistance Program.

Defining Our Employee Value Proposition   

At Tennant Company, we…  

Discover fulfilling work with opportunities for growth and meaningful recognition. 
Drive the quality and innovation our customers rely on in our products and services. 
Connect with people who care about each other, our brands and our communities.

These are the principles that define how our employees experience Tennant Company, make Tennant a great place to grow your career, and are at the core of our legacy and future. Together, they serve as guideposts for working with our customers, our partners and one another.

Begin your journey with us. Let's reinvent how the world cleans.  

Equal Opportunity Employer

Tennant Company is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made on the basis of individual skill, ability, reliability, productivity, and other factors important to performance. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, veteran status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, or any other basis protected by state or federal law or local ordinance.