Backend Software Engineer – Autonomy

Pickle Robot Company; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Unlimited vacation

401(k)

Job summary

Pickle Robot Company is seeking a Backend Software Engineer for its autonomy team to build scalable systems that support task planning and robotic workflows.

You will work at the intersection of software engineering and robotics infrastructure, collaborating with robotics engineers to design backend services that power production warehouse robots and real-world deployments.

Qualifications

• 3–5+ years of backend or distributed systems experience.
• Strong Python programming experience.
• Solid C++ or other strongly typed language experience.
• Understanding of software architecture, concurrency and distributed design.
• Experience with event-driven systems and messaging frameworks.
• Experience interfacing with hardware, robotics, or real-world environments is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Design and build backend services supporting task planning and autonomy.
• Develop scalable, reliable, and performant systems using Python (and C++ where needed).
• Contribute to system architecture and service design within the team.
• Build and maintain event-driven systems and messaging-based architectures.
• Collaborate closely with robotics engineers to integrate backend systems with real-world workflows.
• Improve system performance, reliability, and maintainability across services.
• Participate in code reviews and technical discussions to elevate engineering standards.

Skills

Python

C++

Distributed systems

Software architecture

Concurrency

Event-driven design

Hardware integration awareness

Tools

Kafka

ROS

Job description

Pickle is looking for a Backend Software Engineer to join our autonomy team, focused on building scalable systems that support task planning and robotic workflows.

This role sits at the intersection of software engineering and robotics infrastructure. You\'ll work closely with robotics engineers to design and build backend services that power real-world robotic systems on the warehouse floor.

We\'re looking for a strong software engineer who cares deeply about code quality, system design, and performance — someone who can bring solid backend engineering practices into a robotics environment and isn\'t afraid to get close to the hardware.

At Pickle, your code directly impacts how autonomous robots operate in production warehouses. You\'ll own meaningful pieces of the stack, collaborate across a tight-knit engineering team, and see the results of your work in the real world.

Responsibilities:

• Design and build backend services supporting task planning and autonomy
• Develop scalable, reliable, and performant systems using Python (and C++ where needed)
• Contribute to system architecture and service design within the team
• Build and maintain event-driven systems and messaging-based architectures
• Collaborate closely with robotics engineers to integrate backend systems with real-world workflows
• Improve system performance, reliability, and maintainability across services
• Participate in code reviews and technical discussions to elevate engineering standards

Skills & Experience:

• 3-5+ years of experience in backend or distributed systems engineering
• Strong programming experience in Python
• Solid experience with C++ or another strongly typed language (e.g., Rust, Go, Java)
• Strong understanding of software architecture, concurrency, and distributed system design
• Experience building or supporting event-driven systems, messaging frameworks, or service-oriented architectures
• Experience developing systems that interface with hardware, robotics, or real-world operational environments is a plus

Nice to have:

• Experience working across multiple programming languages
• Familiarity with distributed systems or microservices architectures
• Exposure to robotics, autonomy, or hardware-integrated systems
• Experience with messaging systems (e.g., Kafka, ROS, or similar)

Pay at Pickle

At Pickle Robot Company, we believe transparency builds trust. The salary range listed here is provided in accordance with Massachusetts law and reflects what we reasonably and in good faith expect to offer for this role. We often consider candidates at different levels of seniority, and final compensation will reflect the level at which a candidate is hired, along with factors like experience and location.

About Pickle Robot

Want to get in on the ground floor of a fast-growing, VC-backed robotics company? Join Pickle Robot! We build systems that companies and their teams love.

Pickle robots unload trucks. Every day, millions of trucks and containers are loaded and unloaded, often requiring manual labor—tough, dirty, dangerous, and hard to staff. Pickle automates this process using AI, machine learning, and robotics to deliver reliable products. Our Unload Systems work with teams on loading docks to make the job safer, faster, and more efficient.

Pickle provides best-in-class benefits including health, dental, & vision insurance; unlimited vacation, along with all federal and state holidays; 401K contributions of 5% your salary, travel supplies, and other items to make your working life more fun, comfortable, and productive.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.