Systems Architect / Head of Product - Detroit, USA

About Complete Robot

We are an early-stage, venture-backed company building AI-enabled software and hardware systems for automated physical environments.

The company works at the intersection of AI agents, edge systems, machine data, payments-adjacent workflows, automated retail, and real-world deployment.

For candidates who can start immediately, there may be an opportunity to join the founding team in San Francisco, stay with the team, and build together from a prestigious San Francisco accelerator environment. This is subject to availability, travel and visa requirements, role fit, and mutual agreement.

About the role:

We are looking for a Systems Architect / Head of Product to define the product and technical architecture for a new category of AI-enabled automated retail and physical-machine systems.

This is a senior, founder-facing role. You will help turn an ambitious technical vision into a real product that can be deployed in the field with commercial partners.

The ideal candidate can think across product, systems architecture, customer requirements, hardware constraints, software architecture, integrations, and go-to-market needs.

Responsibilities:

• Define the end-to-end product architecture across hardware, edge software, backend systems, AI workflows, user

  interfaces, and partner integrations.

• Translate founder and customer requirements into clear product specifications.

• Own the MVP definition, prototype scope, pilot roadmap, and longer-term product roadmap.

• Work with engineering, design, business development, and external partners to ensure the product is coherent and deployable.

• Evaluate build-versus-partner decisions across hardware, software, data, and integration layers.

• Define safe and reliable product behavior for real-world operating environments.

• Create clear documentation, system diagrams, product requirements, and technical decision records.

• Help prepare demos, customer conversations, and technical materials for partners and investors.

   

Requirements:

Strong product and systems architecture experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Automated retail

• Vending machines

• Payments / POS / payment terminals

• Industrial IoT

• Retail automation

• Self-service kiosks

• Robotics

• Edge computing

• Hardware-plus-software platform

• Machine telemetry or fleet systems

• Experience building or architecting real-world deployed products.

• Ability to work across hardware, software, cloud, data, AI, and field operations.

• Strong product judgment and technical judgment.

• Ability to create clear specifications from ambiguous requirements.

• Strong communication skills with founders, engineers, commercial teams, and partners.

• English fluency required.

• Willingness to travel when needed.

   

Must Haves:

• Experience with payment-adjacent systems, machine telemetry, operator dashboards, fleet monitoring, or self-service hardware.

• Experience with AI agents, conversational interfaces, recommendation systems, or automation workflows.

• Experience working with OEMs, industrial partners, retail technology companies, or hardware manufacturers.

• Experience as a founder, CTO, head of product, principal engineer, or early technical/product leader.

Success in the first 90 days:

• You define the architecture for the first working product.

• You create clear product requirements for prototype and pilot development.

• You align the team around a realistic roadmap and technical milestones.

• You identify key technical and commercial risks early.

• You help make the product understandable to partners, customers, and investors.

Success in the first 6-12 months:

• The company has a working product architecture that supports real-world pilots.

• Engineering is building against clear requirements.

• Partners understand how the system integrates with their environment.

• You are on track to become a long-term product or technical architecture leader in the company.