Autonomous Lab Robotics Engineer

Caltech; Pasadena (CA); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 117,000; Full time

Job summary

Caltech in Pasadena, CA is seeking a Robotics Engineer to develop autonomous laboratory robotic systems integrating manipulation, perception, planning, and control for automated chemical experimentation.

You will collaborate with chemists and engineers, design and test robotic workflows, and contribute to publications while mentoring students and researchers in robotics and lab automation.

Qualifications

• Master's degree or higher in robotics, ME, EE, CS or related field.
• Strong robotics research background with manipulation, planning or control.
• Experience building and testing integrated robotic hardware/software systems.
• Strong programming skills in Python and/or C++.
• Ability to work across disciplines and collaborate with chemists and engineers.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and program robotic systems for autonomous laboratory experimentation.
• Develop manipulation strategies for lab tasks using glassware, instruments, and tools.
• Create motion/task planning, perception, and control algorithms for complex labs.
• Integrate robots with cameras, sensors, instruments, and hardware.
• Develop software infrastructure coordinating robotic operations with automated experiments.
• Diagnose and recover from errors to ensure safe autonomous operation.
• Collaborate with chemistry and chemical engineering researchers to automate procedures.
• Publish results, present findings, and contribute to proposals.

Skills

Robotics

Python

C++

Research

Interdisciplinary

Communication

Problem-solving

Independent design

Experimentation

Education

MS or PhD in Robotics

Job description

Caltech in Pasadena, CA is seeking a Robotics Engineer to develop autonomous laboratory robotic systems integrating manipulation, perception, planning, and control for automated chemical experimentation.

You will collaborate with chemists and engineers, design and test robotic workflows, and contribute to publications while mentoring students and researchers in robotics and lab automation.