Applications Engineer - San Francisco

present of AI; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Polymath Robotics seeks a hands-on engineer to lead the bringup of autonomous off-road vehicles from simulation to on-vehicle testing with a safety driver. You will work with C++ or Python in ROS/ROS2, turning fixes into reusable tools and communicating clearly with clients.

Remote debugging from logs and ROS bags is essential. Ideal candidates will automate manual steps, build robust tooling, and contribute to cross-vehicle debugging efforts, while ensuring safe operation in controlled sites.

Qualifications

• Hands-on robot experience with autonomous vehicles.
• Strong C++ or Python with ROS/ROS2.
• Ability to turn fixes into reusable tools.
• Clear client communication and remote debugging from logs.

Responsibilities

• Own full bringup of autonomous off-road vehicles from simulation to on-vehicle testing with a safety driver.
• Develop and maintain tooling to automate manual steps.
• Debug issues from logs and ROS bags across multiple vehicle types.

Skills

Robot experience

C++

Python

ROS/ROS2

Client communication

Remote debugging

Tools

ROS bags

ROS2 tooling

Job description

This role owns the full bringup of autonomous off road vehicles, from simulation and bench work through on vehicle testing with a safety driver. A strong candidate has hands on robot experience, solid C++ or Python with ROS or ROS2, and a habit of turning one off fixes into reusable tools. It also calls for clear client communication and remote debugging from logs and ROS bags.

How it fits the AI era

Much of the routine work here is finding manual steps and automating them, which is exactly where AI and scripting help most. The human side stays in judging sensor placement against physical reality, deciding when a problem truly needs a site visit, and setting honest expectations with customers. AI speeds up triage and test generation, but the engineering judgment about what the system can and cannot do remains with the person.

How it builds AI experience

Working on automated test suites that auto generate issues and on ROS2 architecture gives direct practice in building tooling that reduces manual effort. Debugging from logs and ROS bags across many vehicle types builds data driven diagnosis skills that carry into AI assisted workflows. Candidates can strengthen this by showing past automation of a manual process and by getting comfortable with ROS2 tooling and test frameworks.

Worth showing

• ROS2 and C++ or Python
• Automating manual processes
• Remote debugging from logs
• Client facing communication

This is our own read, written from the employer's posting and the company's Spotlight. The employer's posting is the source of truth for the role.

About Polymath Robotics

Autonomy software and retrofit kits that the company says let off-highway vehicles such as dozers, tractors and utility vehicles drive themselves in controlled sites.