Who we are:

Formic is on a mission to reshape American manufacturing by making automation accessible to every factory. As labor constraints rise, costs increase, and global competition intensifies, automation is no longer optional for manufacturers that want to stay competitive.

We deliver automation through a Robotics-as-a-Service model that combines industrial robotics, proprietary software, and full-service support into a single, integrated solution. By removing the traditional barriers of cost, complexity, and risk, we enable manufacturers to deploy automation quickly and realize measurable gains in throughput, safety, and operational efficiency without large upfront capital investment.

Backed by leading investors including Lux Capital, Initialized Capital, Blackhorn Ventures, and Mitsubishi HC Capital North America, Formic is scaling rapidly and building the foundation for a new era of high-performance, Made in America production.

About the Role

This is a hands-on role with a broad mandate. You’ll own the day-to-day technology experience for Formicans: computers, accounts, applications, permissions, onboarding and offboarding, endpoint management, IT support, office technology, and our relationship with our outside IT partner. You'll also help own the day-to-day experience of our Bolingbrook office and warehouse, making sure the space is organized, stocked, functional, and a great place to work.

If the Wi-Fi is down, someone's badge doesn't work, a conference room isn't connecting, the TV needs to be ready for All Hands, a new hire needs a laptop, or the office is running low on something, you're the person who makes sure it gets handled. You aren't expected to personally pull every cable, install every camera, or perform every repair. You are expected to own the outcome.

You don't need to know every system we use on Day 1. We'd rather hire someone with strong technical fundamentals, exceptional resourcefulness, and an ability to learn quickly. Over time, we expect you to become an expert in Formic's technology environment.

You do need to be highly capable at using AI to extend what you can do. We want someone who is genuinely excited about technology and constantly asks: Why are we doing this manually? Can I automate it? Can I make this better?

AI and automation are a meaningful part of this job, not a side project. We mean more than using ChatGPT to write emails. We want someone excited about connecting AI to actual systems and workflows, building things, experimenting with new tools, and finding better ways for Formic to work.

The goal is simple: technology and the workplace become things the company rarely has to think about because they simply work.

In this role, you will:

Own Employee IT

Be the internal owner for day-to-day IT support and troubleshoot issues across Mac and Windows devices, applications, accounts, authentication, peripherals, and connectivity.
Own employee onboarding and offboarding, including computers, accounts, applications, permissions, physical access, equipment recovery, and secure access removal.
Administer our device fleet, including MDM/RMM, patching, encryption, endpoint protection, software deployment, remote management, and remote lock/wipe.
Maintain an accurate hardware inventory and manage purchasing, receiving, configuration, repairs, replacements, shipping, returns, and lifecycle planning.
Administer systems such as Google Workspace, Slack, Notion, 1Password, Microsoft 365, Apple Business Manager, VPN, and other SaaS applications.
Manage accounts, groups, permissions, licenses, MFA, SSO, and application access.
Maintain useful documentation of our systems, configurations, processes, vendors, and administrative access.

Own our Office Technology

Own internet, Wi-Fi, networking, conference rooms, TVs and displays, AV equipment, printers, shared devices, and other workplace technology.
Own door and badge access, security cameras, and other physical-security technology, partnering with People, Facilities, and outside specialists where needed.
Make sure conference rooms and shared technology are ready to use, including setting up and testing AV, TVs, cameras, microphones, and presentations for All Hands, customer visits, investor meetings, and company events.
Troubleshoot onsite issues and coordinate ISPs, network engineers, low-voltage contractors, security vendors, and other specialists when needed.
Support office moves, expansions, installations, and other technology projects.
Keep IT equipment, spares, cables, adapters, network closets, and technology storage organized and ready to use.

Own the Bolingbrook Workplace Experience

Serve as the day-to-day point of contact for workplace needs and help keep our Bolingbrook office and warehouse running smoothly.
Own relationships with workplace vendors, including cleaning, snacks and beverages, office services, maintenance, and other third-party providers.
Keep office, kitchen, and shared supplies appropriately stocked and organized, using vendors and automated ordering wherever practical.
Notice when something in the workplace isn't working, needs attention, or could be better, and take ownership of getting it resolved.
Coordinate repairs and maintenance with our landlord, property management team, Facilities, or outside vendors.
Help keep shared spaces, storage areas, meeting rooms, and workspaces organized and functional.
Support onsite meetings, visitors, company events, and other moments when the office needs to be ready.
Coordinate office moves, furniture and workspace changes, deliveries, installations, and other workplace projects.
Look for ways to automate and simplify workplace operations, from inventory and ordering to vendor management and employee requests.

Automate Relentlessly

Use AI as a force multiplier in your own work and actively experiment with new tools.
Find repetitive work across IT, workplace operations, and Formic that can be eliminated, simplified, or automated.
Build workflows using AI agents, APIs, scripts, integrations, and automation platforms.
Automate provisioning, onboarding, offboarding, support, inventory, documentation, reporting, ordering, and other repetitive processes wherever practical.
Build lightweight internal tools when buying another piece of software isn't the best answer.
Help Formic identify and adopt technology that makes us faster and more effective.

Own Security Operations & Our IT Partners

Be Formic's internal owner for our managed IT and security relationships.
Partner with outside specialists on endpoint security, EDR/MDR, networking, vulnerability management, monitoring, and incident response.
Maintain strong coverage for MFA, encryption, patching, endpoint protection, device management, and other baseline security controls.
Support SOC 2 and other compliance work through documentation, controls, system inventories, and evidence.
Know when to solve something yourself and when to escalate to a specialist.
Hold vendors accountable for responsiveness, quality, timelines, and outcomes.
Make sure Formic owns its credentials, documentation, systems, and technology decisions rather than relying on a vendor to understand our environment.
Ensure our partners are a technical bench, not a substitute for internal ownership.

What makes you a great fit:

You have 3-7 years of experience in IT operations, systems administration, technical support, security operations, technical operations, or another hands-on technology environment.
You’re AI-native in how you work: you instinctively use AI to learn faster, solve problems, automate repetitive work, and extend your own capabilities. You actively experiment with new tools and look for opportunities to apply AI to real systems and workflows.
You're deeply curious about technology and learn new systems quickly.
You're already a heavy user of modern AI tools and actively experiment with them.
You have hands-on experience with Mac and Windows environments, endpoint management, identity and access, SaaS administration, and basic networking.
You can automate work using some combination of scripting, APIs, AI agents, integrations, or low-code/no-code tools.
You're willing to work with physical equipment and troubleshoot problems onsite.
You know how to research and solve something you haven't encountered before.
You're organized, responsive, and unusually good at following things through to completion.
You notice problems before someone has to assign them to you.
You care about the employee experience and take pride in creating a workplace that works well.
You don't think stocking a cabinet, troubleshooting a laptop, meeting a vendor, or building an AI workflow are beneath you.
You want more ownership and responsibility than your years of experience might normally give you.

Bonus Points if you have:

Worked in a startup or physical operating environment
Administered Google Workspace, MDM/RMM, EDR, or identity systems
Supported SOC 2; managed an MSP
Worked with office networking or physical-security systems
Built scripts, bots, internal tools, integrations, or AI agents because you got tired of doing something manually
Created a home lab, side project, GitHub repo, Raspberry Pi graveyard, overly complicated Home Assistant setup, or other evidence that you genuinely enjoy messing with technology also counts.

Our Total Rewards:

At Formic, we believe people do their best work when they feel supported both professionally and personally. That’s why we offer a comprehensive benefits and perks package for full-time, U.S.-based team members, including:

Equity in Formic: Participate in our stock option program and share in the success of a fast-growing start-up backed by leading global investors
Competitive & Uncapped Commission Structure: Designed to reward performance and impact in commission-eligible roles
Comprehensive Healthcare Coverage: Medical, dental, and vision insurance through Blue Cross Blue Shield and Unum, with 99% of employee premiums covered and 75% coverage for dependents, with optional buy-up plans available
Additional Insurance Benefits: FSA and DCFSA, life insurance, short-term disability, and long-term disability through Unum, all 100% employer-paid
Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Fully funded by Formic, offering support when you need it most
Paid Parental Leave Program: Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave
Company-sponsored 401(k): Invest in your future with our company-facilitated retirement savings plan
Home Office Stipend: A one-time allowance for fully remote and hybrid employees to support an at-home or on-the-road work setup
Monthly Cell Phone Reimbursement: Monthly stipend toward personal phone and internet expenses
Flexible Time Off: Take the time you need, when you need it, supported by our flexible PTO policy

Compensation Philosophy

Formic’s pay and equity packages are thoughtfully benchmarked against peer companies at a similar growth stage. Equity represents a meaningful part of our mutual investment: when Formic succeeds, so do you.

Final offers are customized based on experience, geographic location, market considerations, and a candidate’s preferred balance of cash and equity. Our goal is to attract and reward top talent who will have significant impact, and we are open to thoughtful discussions to align on the right structure.

Compensation Range:

$90,000—$120,000 USD

What we look for:

We’re building this company from the ground up, and every person we hire has an outsized impact on our culture, performance, and trajectory. While each team member brings unique strengths and perspectives, we look for people who align with our Operating Principles and embody them in action. If this sounds like you, Formic may be the right place for you!

Fearless Optimism: You make bold bets and default optimistic. You believe in the mission, aren’t paralyzed by risk, and fear inaction more than failure. You see ambiguity as opportunity and bring energy to building what doesn’t yet exist.
Create the Magic: You absorb complexity so customers don’t have to. Whether your customer is external or internal, you focus on delivering experiences that are clear, fast, value-added, and outcome-driven. You don’t say “not my job.” You make things work.
Today, Not Tomorrow: You have a bias to action. You close the loop. You take extreme ownership. You understand that speed compounds, and you don’t confuse activity with results.
Seek Truth: You think from first principles. You value data over ego and strong opinions loosely held. You’re willing to challenge assumptions, including your own, in pursuit of the best answer.
Made of Rubber: You are resolute and adaptable. When things break or priorities shift, you rebound stronger. You treat setbacks as learning moments and move forward with grit.
One Formic: You operate without silos. You practice radical helpfulness, document clearly, and make clean handoffs. You assume positive intent and prioritize team success over individual credit.

Equal Opportunity Employment:

Formic is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or religious creed, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, marital status, family or parental status, disability, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. All employment decisions are based on a person’s merit, business needs, and role requirements. If you require further accommodations or have questions regarding accessibility of our roles, please reach out to [email protected].

AI Use:

At Formic, fairness and transparency are at the heart of our hiring process. We use AI-powered tools in some interviews to help our teams evaluate candidate responses, but all final hiring decisions are made by humans. You can learn more about how AI is used in our recruitment process by reviewing our AI Hiring Disclosure linked here.

Compensation Range: 90000 - 120000 USD

About the company

Formic provides pay-as-you-go factory automation services. It helps businesses automate production without upfront capital by deploying flexible automation systems, then charging an hourly rate after the system starts producing. Formic handles deployment, monitoring, and maintenance, with 24/7 support and a proven 99% uptime. Solutions are tailored by automation experts using a selection of pre-vetted tools, and contracts are scalable to fit growth, allowing customers to pay only for the hours the automation is in use. Overall, Formic aims to make automation easy, affordable, and low-risk for manufacturers.

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

Late Stage VC

Total Funding

$209.1M

Headquarters

Bolingbrook, Illinois

Founded

2020

Get referred to Formic

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

Bolingbrook reached 53,000 square feet after demand rose and fleet hours passed 650,000.
Oakland opened August 19, 2026, giving Formic Bay Area access for humanoid pilots.
Humanoid Global's strategic investment validates Formic's autonomous robotics roadmap and expansion narrative.

What critics are saying

Humanoid pilots in 2026-2027 divert capital from proven RaaS margins into unproven bets.
Figure, Apptronik, Tesla, and Amazon intensify competition for humanoid talent and customers.
If humanoid economics fail, Formic remains a services-heavy integrator exposed to churn.

What makes Formic unique

Formic runs RaaS across palletizing, machine tending, and humanoids under one contract.
June 2026 Bolingbrook headquarters and August 2026 Oakland lab show national operating scale.
Cortex and Core compound deployment data across America's largest independent robot fleet.

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Benefits

99% coverage for Medical, dental, & vision insurance plans (75% coverage for dependents)
Life insurance, Short Term Disability, & Long Term Disability plans
Employee Assistance Program
Paid parental leave
Equity
Company-sponsored 401k
$2,000 Home office allowance
Monthly phone & internet reimbursement
Flexible time off policy and 10+ company holidays
Bi-annual all-company retreats

Growth & Insights and Company News

6 month growth

1 year growth

2 year growth

Axios

Oct 22nd, 2026

Formic raises $50M to put robots to work in physical AI push

Formic, a physical AI commercialization platform, has raised $50 million in financing, chief executive officer Saman Farid told Axios. The funding will help the company expand its robotics deployments. The physical AI boom is raising questions about where the real value lies: in developing robots and AI models, or in putting them to work.

Business Wire

Aug 26th, 2026

Formic opens Oakland facility to advance humanoid robotics alongside Tesla and Amazon in Bay Area

Formic, a US manufacturing automation provider, opened a new 13,000-square-foot facility in Oakland, California on 19 August. This marks the company's first West Coast location and follows a June expansion to a 53,000-square-foot facility in Chicagoland. The Oakland site will focus on humanoid robot development and expanding Formic's automation fleet. The facility positions Formic alongside Tesla's Optimus programme and Amazon's Project Prometheus in the Bay Area's emerging physical AI sector. Formic operates under a Robots-as-a-Service model, requiring no capital expenditure from manufacturers. The company uses proprietary AI models called Cortex and Core for deployment and real-time operations. Founded in 2020, Formic manages what it describes as America's largest independent deployed robot fleet. The opening was attended by hundreds, including Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee.

VentureBeat

Aug 26th, 2026

Formic opens Oakland facility, anchoring humanoid and physical AI Expansion in the Bay Area alongside Tesla and Amazon.

Formic opens Oakland facility, anchoring humanoid and physical AI Expansion in the Bay Area alongside Tesla and Amazon. 7:00 am, PT, August 26, 2026 OAKLAND, Calif.-(BUSINESS WIRE)-August 26, 2026- Formic, a Full Service Automation provider for U.S. manufacturers, celebrated the grand opening of its new Oakland facility on August 19th. The company has taken over more than 13,000 square feet at 936 61st St., marking Formic's first West Coast location and its entry into the Bay Area, which is quickly becoming the center of gravity for physical AI, alongside efforts like Tesla's Optimus program and Amazon's Project Prometheus. A humanoid robot cuts the ribbon at Formic's Oakland facility grand opening on August 19, 2026, flanked by an industrial robot arm, as attendees look on. Hundreds of attendees joined Formic leadership for the celebration, including Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee. The opening builds on Formic's long-standing Bay Area presence, which has given the company access to deep manufacturing and engineering talent in the region. Formic will direct new capital toward accelerating humanoid deployment and expanding its automation fleet across the U.S. The Oakland facility strengthens that foundation, positioning the company to grow its presence with manufacturers throughout the region. "In June, we expanded to a 53,000-square-foot production facility in Chicagoland. Less than two months later, we've set up our second robot factory and R&D center in the Bay Area," Saman Farid, Formic Founder and CEO, said. "Oakland offers a rare mix of robotics talent and early adopters of automation in the manufacturing space, and we're in good company alongside the new Tesla and Amazon facilities also driving forward progress in physical AI." A Historic Opportunity for American Manufacturing Formic was founded on the belief that technology should serve the industries that need it most. American manufacturing businesses feed us, clothe us, house us, and build the things we rely on every day. Formic is working to make robots available to those businesses and to create abundance for the communities they support. "That front line worker is our most valuable asset out there," Patrick Henson, General Manager at Masters Gallery Foods Willows, said during the opening event. "We have to protect them, and automation is the way to do it. We are going to move them to a role where they feel more valued. If you aren't automating yet, you better start thinking of it, because it's where the world is going. And Formic is ahead of it." Formic's Oakland facility is one piece of a larger footprint still to come, with plans to expand into regions beyond the Midwest and West Coast. Humanoids at the Center of Formic Expansion Where Bolingbrook marked the scale of Formic's flagship robotic fleet, from palletizing to machine tending, Oakland marks the company's next chapter: humanoid development. Every deployment, whether a palletizer on a production line or a humanoid on a shop floor, feeds data back into Cortex and Core, Formic's proprietary AI models for scoping, deployment, and real-time operation. That compounding data advantage is what has given Formic its decisive lead in physical AI, bringing it out of research labs into everyday, practical use. Formic has built and manages America's largest independent deployed robot fleet, and continues to scale robots to new use cases and tasks. "Humanoids change the calculus for what's automatable," Danijel Lolic, COO of Formic, said. "We've spent years proving the Robots-as-a-Service model works for highly complex, high-volume, specialized tasks. Oakland is where we start applying that same deployment excellence to more flexible, dynamic, high-variability tasks. This is just the beginning of what we'll announce out of this facility." The Formic Full Service Automation Model Scales with the Mission As Formic expands into humanoids and physical AI, the commitment to accessibility stays the same: no capital expenditure, one flat monthly rate, full service from deployment through ongoing maintenance, and contracted production performance. Every new system Formic brings to market ships with the same promise. Formic was founded in 2020 to make automation accessible to every U.S. manufacturer, regardless of size. That mission has not changed; what has changed is the scope of what's possible and the scale of the operation behind it. About Formic Formic was founded in 2020 to accelerate the accessibility and ease of automation across American manufacturing by delivering the positive outcomes that robotic automation enables: more capacity, consistency, and reliability; less cost, downtime, and worker safety issues. For $0 in capital investment, Formic's Full Service Automation model delivers the equipment and systems to do the job, the service and parts to keep it running, and the technology and software to measure real-time productivity and optimize performance, all for one flat monthly rate. Media Contact Brooklyn Kiosow Marketing Communications Manager [email protected]

La Alameda Press

Aug 3rd, 2026

Robotics startup expands to Oakland, Bolingbrook still 'heartbeat of production'

Robotics startup expands to Oakland, Bolingbrook still 'heartbeat of production' Formic Technologies opens a 13000-square-foot California facility to develop humanoid robots and tap into Bay Area talent and AI expertise. [gamipress_button label="Yes" class="thumbs-rating-up thumbs-rating" url="#gutenslider-pwsyfz0ki-3"] [gamipress_button label="No" class="thumbs-rating-down thumbs-rating" url="#gutenslider-pwsyfz0ki-3"] Based on recent headline ratings, 89% of this readership currently trusts the local media, which has an average score of 89% regionally and is currently trending negative. Media Trust Score

Manufacturing Tomorrow

Jun 17th, 2026

Formic opens 53,000-square-foot chicagoland headquarters to meet growing demand for its ai-powered robotic automation.

Formic opens 53,000-square-foot chicagoland headquarters to meet growing demand for its ai-powered robotic automation. The move comes as Formic surpasses 650,000 production hours across its robotic fleet, a milestone that reflects the growing demand for Full Service Automation among small and mid-sized U.S. manufacturers who can't afford to fall behind. Formic, a Full Service Automation provider for U.S. manufacturers, celebrated the grand opening of its new 53,000-square-foot headquarters in Bolingbrook, IL, its largest facility to date and five times the size of its previous location. The June 11th event brought together manufacturing partners, customers, and local officials, including Mayor Mary Alexander-Basta of Bolingbrook, who joined Formic leadership in a robot ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the occasion. More headlines. Articles. The move comes as Formic surpasses 650,000 production hours across its robotic fleet, a milestone that reflects the growing demand for Full Service Automation among small and mid-sized U.S. manufacturers who can't afford to fall behind. But that milestone doesn't just reflect demand; it's the foundation of Formic's AI advantage. That data trains Cortex and Core, Formic's proprietary models for scoping, deployment, and real-time operation, giving Formic a compounding edge that grows with every system it deploys, backed by the largest independent robotic fleet in the United States. "This space exists because the demand is real, the pipeline is growing, and we need the room to meet it," said Danijel Lolic, COO of Formic. "When we started, we had one core application and a clear conviction that the Robots-as-a-Service model could change manufacturing. What you see on this floor today is proof that the conviction was right and the model works. We've expanded from palletizing into case packing, pallet wrapping, and now machine tending, application categories that open up entirely new customers and facilities." A Facility Built for What's Next On June 11th, attendees got a look at the full breadth of Formic's rapidly expanding automation lineup: Palletizing: Where Formic started. The company built its reputation deploying palletizing solutions for food, beverage, and consumer goods manufacturers facing chronic labor shortages at the end of the line. Case Packing: An expansion of Formic's end-of-line automation footprint, helping manufacturers automate one of the most labor-intensive steps in the packaging process. Pallet Wrapping: Debuted publicly for the first time at Thursday's event, adding another critical end-of-line capability to the Formic offering. Machine Tending: Formic's newest application category opens the door to metal components manufacturers supplying aerospace, automotive, and industrial customers; the facilities that have needed automation the longest but faced the steepest barriers to entry. "Machine tending alone represents a massive expansion of who we can serve," said Shawn Fitzgerald, CRO of Formic. "We're talking about metal components manufacturers, the shops making parts for aerospace and automotive, who have not been able to automate due to capital constraints. Now they can unlock more production hours than ever before to get the job done without requiring that huge upfront cost and all the maintenance that comes along with it. The competitive landscape is shifting fast, and the manufacturers who act now are the ones who will win. We want to be their partner when they make that call." The Model Scales with the Mission As Formic expands its application categories, the commercial model stays the same: no capital expenditure, one flat monthly rate, full service from deployment through ongoing maintenance, and contracted production performance. Every new system Formic brings to market ships with the same guarantee. Formic was founded in 2020 to make automation accessible to every U.S. manufacturer, regardless of size. That mission has not changed; what has changed is the scope of what's possible and the scale of the operation behind it. If you missed Formic in Bolingbrook, Formic is opening a second new facility on the West Coast in Oakland, California, on August 19th. Join them for that grand opening by RSVPing here. About Formic Formic was founded in 2020 to accelerate the accessibility and ease of automation across American manufacturing by delivering the positive outcomes that robotic automation enables: more capacity, consistency, and reliability; less cost, downtime, and worker safety issues. For $0 in capital investment, Formic's Full Service Automation model delivers the equipment and systems to do the job, the service and parts to keep it running, and the technology and software to measure real-time productivity and optimize performance - all for one flat monthly rate.

Formic

IT & Workplace Operations Lead

About the job