Robotics Software Engineer – Motion Planning, Vision & Deployment

Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Work Arrangement: Full-Time, Onsite
Travel: Approximately 10–15% to customer sites

About the Opportunity

Our client is an early-stage robotics company transforming industrial manufacturing through advanced automation, computer vision, and AI-driven robotics. Their technology addresses one of the most significant challenges facing modern industry: enabling manufacturers to automate highly skilled, labor-intensive processes in real-world production environments.

With strong customer demand and commercial momentum, the company is expanding its engineering team and seeking talented robotics software engineers who are excited about building systems that operate on factory floors, not just in simulation.

This is an opportunity to join a small, highly technical team where your work will directly influence product development, customer deployments, and the future direction of the company’s robotics platform.

The Opportunity

As a Robotics Software Engineer, you will help develop the software stack powering next-generation industrial robotic systems. Working across motion planning, perception, controls, system integration, and deployment, you’ll help bring intelligent automation into demanding manufacturing environments.

This role is ideal for engineers who enjoy working across disciplines, solving complex real-world problems, and seeing their software rapidly deployed into production environments.

What You’ll Do

• Design, develop, and maintain robust, scalable software for industrial robotic systems.
• Develop motion planning, trajectory generation, and real-time robotic control capabilities.
• Integrate cameras, sensors, and perception systems into robotic workflows.
• Build perception-to-action systems that enable robots to operate autonomously in dynamic manufacturing environments.
• Write, test, and deploy production-quality software directly onto physical robotic systems.
• Develop tools, interfaces, and operational workflows that improve robot performance and reliability.
• Conduct simulation, testing, and real-world validation of robotic systems.
• Optimize software performance across edge, embedded, and cloud-connected environments.
• Contribute to software architecture and long-term platform scalability.
• Support customer deployments, commissioning activities, troubleshooting, and system optimization.
• Collaborate closely with software, controls, hardware, and manufacturing engineers in a highly cross-functional environment.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 2–6 years of experience developing software for robotic systems.
• Strong Python programming skills and commitment to software engineering best practices.
• Experience deploying software onto physical robotic systems rather than exclusively simulation environments.
• Strong understanding of:
  • Robotics kinematics and dynamics
  • Motion control
  • State estimation
  • Real-time robotic systems
• Experience integrating cameras, sensors, or perception systems into robotic applications.
• Proficiency with Git, software testing, debugging, and modern development workflows.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced startup environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Robotics, Computer Science, or related discipline.
• Experience with ROS, ROS2, Drake, or similar robotics frameworks.
• Strong expertise in one or more of the following:
  • Motion Planning
  • Computer Vision
  • Robot Learning
  • Robotic Manipulation
• Experience with industrial robot arms or manufacturing automation systems.
• Familiarity with PLCs, industrial controls, or real-time control frameworks.
• Experience optimizing software for embedded or edge-computing environments.
• Knowledge of distributed systems and cloud-connected robotic architectures.

Why This Role Stands Out

• Your work will be deployed onto production robotic systems operating in real customer environments.
• Most software developed reaches production deployments quickly, often within weeks rather than months or years.
• You’ll work across the full robotics stack instead of being limited to a narrow technical silo.
• You’ll have direct visibility into how your work impacts customers, manufacturing operations, and business outcomes.
• You’ll join a small, highly collaborative team where engineers have significant ownership and influence over technical decisions.

Additional Requirements

Due to U.S. export control regulations (ITAR), applicants must be U.S. Citizens or lawful permanent residents (Green Card holders).

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.