Founding Software Engineer

Maxwell Bond; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Maxwell Bond is seeking a Founding Robotics Software Engineer to help build the robotics software stack from the ground up. You will own broad areas across perception, planning, controls and deployment, with work on real robots.

You will write production C++ and Python, work across disciplines, and contribute to architecture while engaging with hardware deployments and field troubleshooting.

Qualifications

• Strong software fundamentals and experience with real robotic systems.
• Exceptional C++ and Python skills, including performance optimization.
• Experience with containerisation, DevOps, edge computing or cloud infra.
• Track record of software that has operated on physical systems

Responsibilities

• Build core robotics software enabling autonomous systems to operate reliably in real-world environments
• Work across different layers of the robotics stack depending on project requirements and your areas of expertise
• Develop production-grade C++ and Python software with strong testing and engineering practices
• Design and build low-latency frameworks for logging, telemetry, monitoring and system observability
• Profile and optimise robotics algorithms for deployment on edge hardware
• Develop and integrate perception, localisation, state estimation, control and motion planning capabilities
• Work with sensors including LiDAR, RGB-D cameras and IMUs
• Help build systems capable of operating reliably under uncertain and changing conditions
• Support robot deployments and troubleshoot software and systems in the field
• Collaborate across software, hardware and systems engineering to solve complex integration problems
• Contribute to the architecture and engineering standards of a rapidly evolving robotics platform

Skills

C++

Python

Robotics software

Perception

Localization

State estimation

Controls

Motion planning

LiDAR

RGB-D

IMUs

Machine learning

DevOps

Containerisation

Edge computing

Cloud infrastructure

Education

Master's degree in robotics or related field

Job description

If you need a perfectly defined roadmap, established processes and a narrow job description, this probably isn't for you.

This is a Founding Robotics Software Engineer opportunity for someone who wants to help build the robotics software stack from the ground up, work across disciplines and see their code running on physical robots in the real world.

The opportunity

You'll join an early-stage robotics company building autonomous systems for critical infrastructure and demanding industrial environments.

As a Founding Robotics Software Engineer, you'll have broad ownership across the robotics stack. You'll work wherever the biggest technical problems are, whether that's perception, state estimation, controls, infrastructure, deployment or the tooling needed to operate robots reliably at scale.

The role is deliberately broad. You'll write production software, develop and optimise algorithms, build infrastructure for monitoring and telemetry, and help diagnose problems when robots are operating outside the lab.

You'll also have the opportunity to travel to deployment sites, work directly with the hardware and understand how your software behaves in the environments it was designed for.

Responsibilities

• Build core robotics software that enables autonomous systems to operate reliably in real-world environments
• Work across different layers of the robotics stack depending on project requirements and your areas of expertise
• Develop production-grade C++ and Python software with strong testing and engineering practices
• Design and build low-latency frameworks for logging, telemetry, monitoring and system observability
• Profile and optimise robotics algorithms for deployment on edge hardware
• Develop and integrate perception, localisation, state estimation, control and motion planning capabilities
• Work with sensors including LiDAR, RGB-D cameras, IMUs and other robotic sensing technologies
• Help build systems capable of operating reliably under uncertain and changing conditions
• Support robot deployments and troubleshoot software and systems in the field
• Collaborate across software, hardware and systems engineering to solve complex integration problems
• Contribute to the architecture and engineering standards of a rapidly evolving robotics platform

Why this role

This is a Founding Robotics Software Engineer position, which means your influence will extend far beyond the code you personally write.

There is no legacy architecture dictating how everything has to be done and no long chain of approvals between identifying a problem and solving it. You'll have the freedom to question assumptions, choose technologies and help establish the foundations of the robotics software stack.

You'll also see your work move quickly from an idea into a physical system. The feedback loop between software development, testing and deployment is short, and you'll be close to the hardware throughout the process.

For engineers who enjoy variety, autonomy and solving problems that haven't already been solved ten times before, the environment offers a huge amount of room to make an impact.

You'll also help shape the company itself — from engineering practices and tooling to team culture and the way the robotics platform evolves.

What we're looking for

We're looking for a Founding Robotics Software Engineer with strong software fundamentals and experience working with real robotic systems.

You'll ideally bring:

• A background in Robotics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering or a related technical field
• Experience deploying robots or autonomous systems in high-reliability environments
• Exceptional C++ and Python skills, including experience with performance optimisation
• Strong systems-level thinking and the ability to work effectively with incomplete information
• Experience with containerisation, DevOps, edge computing or cloud infrastructure
• Practical experience with one or more areas of robotics including:
• Robotic sensors such as LiDAR, RGB-D cameras and IMUs
• Localisation and state estimation
• Kinematics, controls and motion planning
• Perception and 3D scene understanding
• Machine learning for robotic perception
• A track record of building software that has operated on physical systems rather than exclusively in simulation

A Master's degree or higher in robotics or a related field would be a plus.

Experience building data collection or ML training pipelines, working with simulators such as Isaac Sim, PyBullet or Gazebo, web or VR development, or contributing to open-source robotics frameworks would also be valuable.

The environment

This is an early-stage robotics environment built around ownership, speed and technical curiosity.

You'll work alongside engineers who care deeply about building systems that actually work outside of a controlled lab environment. You'll be expected to move quickly, think independently and take responsibility for solving problems rather than waiting for someone else to define the answer.

As a Founding Robotics Software Engineer, you'll have a genuine voice in the technical direction of the company. You'll help influence the engineering stack, development practices, tooling and ultimately the systems you're building.

The team values people who are ambitious about the technology but pragmatic about getting things deployed.