Chief Technology Officer

To foster and grow the national manufacturing ecosystem, the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute has formed a national, public-private partnership to accelerate research, development and demonstration in the application of robotic technologies in the manufacturing environment. Based in Pittsburgh, the ARM Institute was launched in January 2017 as the fourteenth Manufacturing USA Institute, a national network of public-private partnerships funded by the federal government.  ARM was founded by Carnegie Mellon University with an $80 million investment from the Department of Defense and $173 million commitment from industry and academic partners. ARM is not only a part of the vibrant robotics community in Pittsburgh but is building a diverse and progressive consortium of innovators with over 160 (and counting) organizational members from across the United States.

The overarching goal of the ARM Institute is to create a brighter future for U.S. manufacturers and workers by lowering the barriers of adoption to robotics through technology and workforce development.  Specifically, ARM seeks to increase U.S. competitiveness in robotics applied primarily in manufacturing environments. ARM seeks to empower American workers to compete with low-wage workers abroad; create and sustain new jobs to secure U.S. national prosperity; lower the technical, operational, and economic barriers for small- and medium- sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as large companies to adopt robotics technologies; and assert U.S. leadership in advanced manufacturing. The vision of this institute includes robots working collaboratively with humans on the assembly line and in material handling, growing productivity and precision while freeing humans from low-value added activities. 

Job Summary

This is a dynamic opportunity in a start-up organization for someone who thrives in an interesting and challenging work environment. It is a C-level role requiring significant expertise and experience in technological development for robotics in manufacturing. The CTO must be a highly collaborative, team player who can understand and help drive ARM’s multi-faceted role as a research organization, sustainable business and national membership organization with close ties to Carnegie Mellon University and that is currently sponsored by the Department of Defense.  The CTO orchestrates the technical interactions and manages the technical projects and technology transition aspects of the institute. These activities are a core part of the value proposition to ARM’s membership base.

The CTO will drive the technical vision for ARM by convening experts and stakeholders from among our industrial and academic members, including ARM’s Technical Advisory Committee, as well as our government partners. The CTO will use collaborative processes to solicit, define, and prioritize areas for technical investment and document the findings in an ARM technology investment roadmap.

 ARM’s primary mechanism for putting the roadmap into action is funding project teams comprised of ARM members.  Project calls are written based on the roadmap and issued to request proposals on specific topics.  The CTO will oversee the project call process, including selecting the topics for each project call, writing the project call, assembling peer review teams and conducting reviews of project proposals, and selecting the projects to fund. The CTO will oversee both ARM staff personnel and ARM member volunteers to conduct this process.

ARM will also locate to a new 60,000 square foot facility shared with Carnegie Mellon University in the Spring of 2019.  ARM will design and manage the Advanced Robotics Integration Facility (ARIF) to conduct projects for members and government agencies.  The CTO will oversee design and development of the ARIF.

The CTO will also manage and recruit technical staff, forecast and manage the technology development budget and provide input and documentation to ARM’s government advisory team as required by the Technology Investment Agreement.

This position reports to the Chief Executive Officer.

Qualifications and Skills

• Knowledgeable and understanding of current trends in robotics and advanced manufacturing

• Good at building relationships both within the organization and externally

• Comfortable working with stakeholders from small and large companies, academia, non-profit organizations and government agencies

• Superior at project management and time management

• Self-motivated with a positive and professional approach to management

• A confident communicator 

Requirements

• Master’s degree or above in a technical field related to robotics or manufacturing

• 15+ years of experience in advanced robotics technologies

• 10+ years of experience in managing technology development project teams, preferably in industry

• Industrial experience with robotics in manufacturing environment(s)