Principal Engineer Robotics - Machine Integration Lead

Tennant Company•Minneapolis, MN

About The Position

Tennant Company is seeking a Principal Robotics Engineer – Machine Integration Lead for its Robotics Product Development and R&D organization. The role leads technical execution of systems and architecture integration across complex electromechanical, software, and partner technologies, including Brain Corp, within Tennant robotics cleaning solutions. The engineer translates product vision into functional, compliant, and cost-effective designs. Success is measured by robust system architecture execution, integration speed, and effective application of new technologies to complex problems. The Machine Integration Lead guides cross-functional technical teams through system definition and development plans, including system integration events across New Product Development efforts. The position spans technical planning, requirements translation, system architecture, design reviews, prototyping, partner technology integration, risk management, and compliance. The role applies systems engineering rigor to ensure integrated designs meet machine cost, performance, quality, and verification requirements.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics, Robotics, Systems, or Computer Engineering from an ABET-accredited institution.
10+ years of experience in machine and systems integration on complex software-driven electromechanical systems, and leadership of project execution teams.
Ability to translate program objectives into technical work plans, establish deliverables and ownership, integrate cross-functional dependencies, and drive execution against development, integration, and verification and validation milestones.
Skill in proactively managing technical risks, trade-offs, and corrective actions to maintain program commitments.
Proficiency applying systems engineering principles, including requirements development and decomposition, system architecture and interfaces, traceability, integration, and verification and validation.
Skill in applying FMEA, HARA, and DVP&R to manage technical risk and ensure system-level requirements are verified.
Ability to lead structured problem solving and root cause identification, including use of the 8D Problem Solving methodology.
Strong ability to build partnerships and collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Mechanical, Hardware, Systems, Software, Production, and Supply Chain.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree is strongly preferred.
Product design and certification experience with autonomous mobile robotic (AMR) products to standards such as IEC/UL 60335-1, IEC/UL 60335-2-72, and IEC 63327 is strongly desired.
Product development experience involving compliance with Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC and CE-marked machinery.

Responsibilities

Lead cross-functional technical planning by identifying key decisions and linking knowledge-building work.
Define system scope in a clear work breakdown structure (WBS), with deliverables, interfaces, and owners.
Drive technical team execution against an integrated project plan covering milestones, integration events, verification and validation, and dependencies; escalate risks, trade-offs, and corrective actions to keep development on track.
Translate customer, business, and technical requirements into clear technical specifications linked to verification and validation activities.
Lead delivery and integration of system- and subsystem-level designs, with well-defined interfaces across system boundaries and designs that meet machine cost, performance, and quality requirements.
Lead cross-functional teams through disciplined design reviews that identify risks early, generate actionable feedback, and align stakeholders on decisions.
Ensure design reviews demonstrate requirements compliance, verification and validation strategy and progress, and readiness for prototype and production builds, including manufacturing, sourcing, and quality plans.
Plan, build, and coordinate prototype build and integration events that support verification and validation of proofs of concept and requirements, identifying and reducing risks throughout product development.
Lead end-to-end integration of partner technologies by defining interface requirements, owning integration and verification plans, and aligning partners and internal teams on technical expectations and decision timelines.
Evaluate design risks using formalized tools such as DFMEA and HARA.
Ensure design compliance by applying applicable industry standards, including UL, IEC, EMC, ESD, IEC/UL 60335-1, IEC/UL 60335-2-72, IEC 63327, and Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC.