Lead Systems Engineer

About UsWe're Queue, the world's first fully autonomous robotic pharmacy. We go from sealed wholesale bottles to filled, verified prescription vials with zero human involvement.We built Queue because no one should ever have to wait in line for the medicines they need. One in three US pharmacies has shut down. Pharmacists are overworked to a breaking point. And patients are paying the price. Queue fixes that. Pharmacists get to practice pharmacy again — counseling patients, catching interactions, doing the work only they can do. And patients get their prescriptions in 60 seconds or less, any time, anywhere.We're backed by over $18 million from Alleycorp, Riot Ventures, Ubiquity Ventures, House Capital, and others who believe the pharmacy system is broken and that robotics can fix it. Queue was founded by Nick Desai (6x founder, previously CEO of Heal) and Joshua Liu (previously Tesla, Waymo, and Zipline).About The RoleAs Queue's second systems engineer, you'll be a technical leader and a true partner to the Head of Systems Engineering. You'll hold real authority over the architecture, safety, and regulatory direction of a fully autonomous system that dispenses medication to patients — with no human in the loop to catch a mistake.This is a staff / principal level role. Together we'll build Queue's systems engineering culture: how we make decisions, how we define "safe enough," and how we prove it to ourselves, our partners, and the regulators who oversee pharmacy. You'll set the bar others work to, and your judgment will shape the company as we scale from pilot sites to nationwide deployment.What You'll OwnTechnical Leadership & CulturePartner with the Head of Systems Engineering to define SE processes, standards, tooling, and review practices across the companyOwn critical architectural decisions end to end, with authority to set direction and hold the line on margins, safety, and qualityAct as the technical integrator across hardware, software, autonomy, operations, and pharmacy teamsMentor engineers across disciplines and grow systems thinking throughout the organizationInfluence roadmap and product strategy alongside executive leadershipAutonomy Safety & SOTIFDefine and own the system safety strategy for a fully autonomous pharmacy, from hazard analysis through a defensible safety caseApply Safety of the Intended Function (SOTIF) methods to identify and reduce risk from performance limitations, edge cases, and unknown-unsafe scenarios — not just component failuresLead hazard analyses (e.g., STPA, FMEA, FTA) spanning perception, dispensing verification, software, and human interactionSet safety metrics, acceptance criteria, and residual-risk arguments; build the evidence (simulation, testing, field data) that supports themEstablish safety monitoring and incident-learning loops as the fleet growsRegulatory StrategyOwn the regulatory strategy for autonomous dispensing across state Boards of Pharmacy and relevant federal authoritiesTranslate regulator objectives (patient safety, accuracy, traceability, accountability) into system requirements and verifiable evidenceRepresent Queue's engineering case directly with regulators, pharmacy partners, and standards bodiesHelp shape emerging regulatory frameworks for pharmacy automation, working with legal, pharmacy, and business leadershipArchitecture & Model-Driven TradeoffsOwn system requirements, interfaces, and performance, reliability, and safety budgetsBuild and maintain system-level models for throughput, reliability, safety, and cost; use them to drive quantitative trade studiesResolve ambiguity through first-principles analysis and clear, well-documented decisionsArchitect for scale, serviceability, and field reliability, updating assumptions as manufacturing and field data arriveQualifications / ExperiencesMust Have:8-12+ years of engineering experience on complex, safety-critical products, including senior technical leadership of system architecture or system safetyTrack record of shipping systems with real safety, operational, and economic consequences. Direct robotics experience isn't required; we welcome candidates from autonomous vehicles, aerospace, medical devices, and industrial automationDeep expertise in system safety for autonomous or software-intensive systems, including SOTIF (ISO 21448) and hazard analysis methods (STPA, FMEA, FTA)Experience building and defending safety cases or equivalent risk arguments with external stakeholdersDeep expertise in system architecture, requirements definition, interface design, and design tradesFluency across hardware, software, and operations, with depth in at least one of: autonomy/perception, embedded or distributed software, electronics, or mechatronicsDemonstrated ability to set technical direction and influence without formal authority across teams and leadershipFirst-principles thinker who is data-driven, decisive under uncertainty, and operates with high ownership and low egoNice to Have:Experience with autonomy and functional safety standards such as UL 4600, ISO 26262, IEC 61508, or ISO 10218Experience with medical device or aerospace safety frameworks (e.g., ISO 14971, IEC 62304, ARP4754A/ARP4761)Direct experience engaging regulators (e.g., state agencies, NHTSA, FAA, FDA, DEA, Boards of Pharmacy) on novel technologyExperience shaping standards, policy, or regulatory frameworks for emerging technologyExperience building an engineering function or processes at an early-stage companyExperience scaling autonomous systems from pilot to fleet deploymentHow We HireRecruiter Screen: (30 min)Manager Interview/Technical (90 min)Technical Interview: (60 min)Leadership Interview: (60 min)What we offerEarly-stage equity in automated pharmacy dispensing at scaleDirect impact — your work helps put medication safely in patients’ handsSmall team, zero bureaucracy, high trustHard problems: distributed systems, safety-critical software, regulatory compliance, real-time hardware integrationCompensation & BenefitsCompetitive salaryMeaningful early-stage equityHealth, 401(k), unlimited PTOWhy Join Us Now?Impact & GrowthDirect Patient Impact: Your work will improve healthcare outcomes for millions of patientsMarket Leadership: Ground-floor opportunity to define an entirely new category of healthcare technologyTechnical Innovation: Work on genuinely novel problems at the intersection of AI, robotics, and healthcareCareer Acceleration: High-visibility role with significant growth potential as the company scalesTeam and CultureWorld-Class Team: Work alongside exceptional engineers, AI researchers, and healthcare expertsReports to the Head of Systems Engineering with significant autonomy and influenceInnovation Focus: Culture that prioritizes breakthrough thinking and rapid experimentationMission-Driven: Team united around the goal of transforming healthcare through technologyOur ValuesServant Leadership: Make those around you better. We serve our teams the way Queue serves communities: 4,000 pharmacies close each year and deserts are spreading - we’re here to reverse that. Do the Hard Things: Healthcare, hardware, and company-building are all hard. We do them anyway. Convenience for us is life-changing for those we serve. Own Your Work: Be accountable; take pride in what you ship. Queue lives and dies by what you do - own it fully. Default is Now: There’s never a better time than today. Default to action: what can we prove, learn, or simplify right now?Contact: If you have any questions, please contact us at careers@queue.inc