Why Your VP of Engineering Search in Robotics Is Failing

I see it every single week. A high-growth robotics or automation company, usually post-Series B, comes to me with a 'failed' VP of Engineering search. They've spent four months interviewing candidates, they've seen twenty people, and they're no closer to a hire than when they started. The problem isn't the market. The problem is the brief.

Most founders and CEOs define the VP of Engineering role as 'the best engineer in the room.' They interview for technical depth — controls, perception, integration — when they should be interviewing for organisational leadership. A VP of Engineering in robotics builds the machine that builds the product. They're responsible for process, culture, recruitment, retention, and the interface between engineering and the rest of the business.

A VP of Engineering is an organisational architect, not a principal engineer.

By the time a robotics company reaches scale, they've usually accumulated significant organisational debt. They need a leader who can implement process without killing speed. I look for candidates who talk about delivery predictability and team structure rather than only technical specs. I look for people who have managed the transition from founder-led engineering to a professionalised, multi-team organisation.

If your VP of Engineering search in robotics is failing, stop looking at the candidates and start looking at your brief. Are you looking for a coder, or are you looking for a leader?