Join Shinkei as a Field Engineering Manager

Role Overview

We are seeking a Field Engineering Manager to lead and grow Shinkei’s Field Engineering function. This role sits at the intersection of people leadership, technical execution, and customer-facing field operations.

You will manage and mentor Field Engineers and technicians, proactively plan integration and repair deployments, and act as a hands-on technical advisor for complex field issues. This is not a desk-only role. You will remain close to the hardware, the software, and the field realities, while building the structure and systems that allow the team to scale.

Field Engineering at Shinkei

The Field Engineering team spans:

• Product Integration
• Field deployment, service, and troubleshooting

Field Engineers install, troubleshoot, and maintain robotic systems that include linear actuators, end effectors, electric motors, drives, wiring harnesses, plumbing, and structural assemblies. The Field Engineering Manager ensures this work is prioritized, sustainable, and continuously improving.

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Development

• Manage, mentor, and support a team of Field Engineers across varying experience levels
• Coach engineers through hands-on problem solving
• Identify skill gaps and support technical and leadership growth
• Balance workload and travel to prevent burnout and maintain team health

Field Operations & Planning

• Own field deployment planning, prioritization, and execution across US sites
• Act as the primary escalation point for complex or high-impact field issues
• Step in hands-on when necessary to resolve difficult technical problems
• Ensure deployments are well-prepared, repeatable, and customer-ready

Technical Oversight

• Guide troubleshooting of electro-mechanical, electrical, and software-related issues
• Help distinguish between field-fixable issues and design-level improvements
• Support reliability improvements for systems operating in harsh environments
• Review and improve installation, service, and maintenance practices

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Serve as the bridge between Field Engineering, Manufacturing, and Design Engineering
• Translate field learnings into clear, actionable feedback for upstream teams
• Partner with Engineering leadership to improve system reliability and deployment readiness
• Communicate effectively with fishermen and on-site partners during deployments

Process & Systems Improvement

• Build and refine field processes, documentation, and escalation paths
• Improve feedback loops from field → engineering → manufacturing
• Help define metrics for field success (uptime, deployment readiness, repeat issues, etc.)
• Contribute to hiring, onboarding, and training of future Field Engineers and Technicians

Qualifications

Required

• 5+ years of experience working with electro-mechanical systems in field, manufacturing, or deployment environments
• 2+ years of experience leading or mentoring engineers or technicians (formal or informal)
• Strong hands-on experience with power tools and industrial manufacturing equipment
• Proven ability to troubleshoot complex systems independently in the field
• Excellent communication skills across technical and non-technical audiences
• Willingness to travel (~30%) and work in dynamic, real-world environments
• Experience using project management tools such as Jira, Asana, Clickup, or any similar tool.

Preferred

• Experience managing field, service, or deployment teams
• Comfort working with Linux, CLI tools, and basic software diagnostics
• Experience with wiring harnesses, connectors, crimping, and industrial tooling
• Background in robotics, automation, automotive, or industrial systems
• Experience working in harsh or safety-critical environments