Robotics Software Engineer

Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Employment Type: Full-Time
Work Arrangement: On-Site
Department: Engineering

About the Opportunity

An early-stage robotics company is developing advanced automation systems for industrial and manufacturing applications. The team is focused on building robotics technology that can improve the capabilities, efficiency, and scalability of modern manufacturing.

We are looking for a Robotics Software Engineer to help design and build the software that powers industrial robotic systems. This is a highly hands-on engineering opportunity spanning motion planning, trajectory optimization, perception, real-time control, and robotics system integration

The ideal candidate combines strong software engineering fundamentals with meaningful hands-on experience developing robotics systems, particularly robotic manipulation or industrial robot applications. This is an opportunity to work close to the hardware, solve challenging real-world robotics problems, and have substantial ownership over foundational technology in a rapidly growing environment.

What You'll Do

• Design and develop robust, scalable, and maintainable software for industrial robotic systems.
• Develop and implement motion planning, trajectory optimization, and real-time control algorithms.
• Develop vision-based robotic automation by integrating cameras, sensors, and perception systems.
• Work with 3D perception and sensor data to enable reliable robotic manipulation and system performance.
• Optimize software for performance, reliability, and deployment across edge, embedded, and cloud environments.
• Apply strong software engineering practices, including modular architecture, testing, version control, debugging, and CI/CD.
• Build simulations and conduct real-world experiments to validate and improve robotic system performance.
• Collaborate closely with hardware, controls, mechanical, and other engineering disciplines.
• Contribute to robotics system architecture and technical decisions as the platform evolves.
• Help establish software and engineering practices that can scale alongside the company's products and customer deployments.
• Take ownership of complex technical problems from initial concept through implementation, testing, and deployment.

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 3+ years of relevant robotics software engineering experience, with strong consideration given to candidates with deeper experience in industrial manipulation robotics.
• Strong proficiency in Python and a strong software engineering mindset.
• Hands-on experience developing software for robotic systems, particularly industrial robot arms or robotic manipulation.
• Strong understanding of robotics fundamentals, including:
  • Kinematics
  • Dynamics
  • Control theory
  • State estimation
  • Motion planning
  • Trajectory generation
• Experience developing or implementing robotics algorithms that operate on physical systems.
• Strong software development fundamentals, including Git, testing, debugging, and maintainable code design.
• Ability to work effectively across software, hardware, and controls disciplines.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment where engineers are expected to take significant ownership and operate with limited structure.
• Genuine interest in robotics and applying robotics technology to real-world manufacturing challenges.
• Must be a U.S. Person eligible to work on programs subject to applicable U.S. export-control requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Robotics, Computer Science, or a related technical field.
• Experience with ROS or other robotics middleware
• Strong experience with motion planning, trajectory optimization, or real-time control.
• Experience with 3D point-cloud perception or other vision-based robotics applications.
• Hands-on experience with industrial robot arms and manipulation systems.
• Experience working with industrial robotics platforms or major robot-arm OEMs.
• Familiarity with PLCs or real-time control frameworks.
• Experience optimizing software for edge or embedded devices.
• Knowledge of distributed computing architectures.
• Experience developing robotics software in a startup or early-stage environment.
• Experience taking robotics systems from development through real-world deployment.
• Experience in manufacturing automation, industrial robotics, or related applications

Why This Opportunity

This role offers the opportunity to work on robotics technology that operates in the physical world, rather than purely in simulation or research environments.

You'll have meaningful ownership over software architecture and implementation while working directly with multidisciplinary engineers to solve challenging problems in robotic manipulation, motion planning, perception, and automation

The environment is best suited for engineers who enjoy building from the ground up, moving quickly from experimentation to deployment, and taking ownership of problems that don't always have predefined solutions.

Compensation & Benefits

Base Salary: Up to approximately $250,000, depending on experience and qualifications

Additional compensation may include equity participation, with the overall package determined by experience and seniority.

Relocation support may be available for qualified candidates relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area.

Export Control Requirement

Due to the nature of the company's work and applicable U.S. export-control regulations, this position is restricted to U.S. Persons, including U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.