Controls/Motion Planning Software Engineer

Thoro.ai; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 130,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary & equity

Pre-tax health care

Flexible benefits

Life & disability insurance

Unlimited PTO

Remote option

On-site parking

Casual work environment

Job summary

Thoro.ai in Pittsburgh, PA is seeking a Controls/Motion Planning Software Engineer with 5+ years in robotics planning. You will lead a software team to design and implement planning algorithms for autonomous devices, on Linux, and collaborate across hardware and cloud systems.

The role emphasizes roadmap development, code reviews, and hands-on testing, with a path toward leading integration of sensing and control modules in AMR workflows.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of industry experience developing robotic planning algorithms.
• Strong knowledge of grid-based global planning (A*, D*).
• Experience with local planning techniques (MPC, Lie-based).
• Linux-based development with Git, testing, and docs.
• Familiarity with Publisher/Subscriber architectures.

Responsibilities

• Develop subsystem roadmaps to meet customer requirements.
• Manage the team to execute the roadmaps.
• Participate in software best-practices reviews via design and code reviews.
• Evaluate software through unit, regression, and on-robot testing.
• Investigate robot issues by analyzing logs.
• Help integrate and evaluate sensors and algorithms.

Skills

Robotics planning algorithms

Global planning (A*)

Local planning (MPC)

Linux development

Git & testing

Publisher/Subscriber architecture

ROS planners

OMPL

Indoor AMRs

Computational geometry

Non-linear optimization

Linear algebra

Tools

ROS planners

OMPL

Lie-based libraries

Job description

Controls/Motion Planning Software Engineer

Thoro.ai is delivering on the promise of autonomy, making people more productive and work more satisfying. A software, cloud and integration company, we build everything that is necessary for manufacturers of industrial equipment to launch autonomous products. We also deploy our fleet management solutions to integrate these products into end user workflows, by building connections to Warehouse Management Systems and other business critical systems.

Thoro is headquartered in the heart of Pittsburgh, PA. Our team brings deep industry and subject matter expertise, along with a collaborative and optimistic outlook on the future of industrial robotics.

Thoro is in a great position to lead the autonomous mobile robotics space with a team of incredible depth and expertise, the technology to deliver, and the partnerships to build a transformative business for the future.

We’re seeking a future team member for the role of Controls/Motion Planning Software Engineer to join our Software team. This role is located in Pittsburgh, PA.

Job Summary

We are looking for a Software Engineer with 5+ years of Controls/Motion planning experience. The ideal candidate is someone who understands our unique business needs and can provide effective solutions while following industry practices, forging groundbreaking new territory, and managing the team as they execute the solution.

Responsibilities and Duties

• Develop subsystem roadmaps to meet the customer requirements
• Manage the team to execute on the roadmaps
• Participate in and facilitate review of software best practices through design and code reviews
• Evaluate the performance of the software through unit, regression, and on-robot testing
• Investigate robot issues by analyzing logs
• Help integrate and evaluate alternative sensors and algorithm

Required Skills / Abilities:

Our ideal candidate will have experience with the following:

• 5+ years of industry experience developing robotic planning algorithms
• Understanding of grid-based global Planning techniques (A*, D*)
• Understanding of local planning techniques (Model predictive control, Lie-based controls, motion primitives)
• Ability to develop and build code in Linux-based environments
• Familiarity with version control (Git), automated testing, and technical documentation
• Experience with Publisher Subscriber architecture

Preferred Skills / Abilities:

• Prior experience with Planning libraries (ROS planners, OMPL, Lie-based libraries)
• Prior experience with indoor AMR’s
• Strong math skills with a background in computational geometry, non-linear optimization, and linear algebra

Why You’ll Like it Here:

• Competitive salary & equity packages
• Pre-tax health care, dependent care, and commuter benefits (FSA)
• Flexible medical, dental, and vision benefits for you and your family
• Life insurance & disability insurance
• Complimentary lunch buffet & beverages
• Awesome, encouraging team atmosphere
• Unlimited paid time off
• Option to work remotely part-time
• Office social events, including happy hours, parties, and community service projects
• Fully paid on-site parking, local commuter pass
• A casual, laid-back work environment
• High-sensory environment immersed in technology and robotics

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times

Thoro.ai is an Equal Opportunity Employer that welcomes applications from all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable laws and Thoro.ai’s employment policies.

Compensation

• The base pay range for this role is around $130,000 – $140,000 per year.