Robotics Algorithms Engineer, Manipulation & Control

Path Robotics; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free lunch

Flexible PTO

Health insurance

Parental leave

401(k)

Referral bonuses

Job summary

Path Robotics is seeking an exceptional hands‑on engineer to own the control‑and‑estimation heart of a real‑time robotics system, turning live sensor feedback into accurate motion on real hardware. You’ll shape the system’s direction toward learning‑based and whole‑body control.

You will work with real robots, implement robust C++ real‑time software, and collaborate with teams to ensure precise, reliable motion under uncertainty.

Qualifications

• Real-time control and state estimation with model‑predictive control, Kalman/particle estimation, and observability analysis.
• Manipulation robotics knowledge: arm kinematics, trajectory generation, calibration.
• Sensor-guided motion / visual servoing with real hardware and perception‑to‑control loops.
• Track record of real‑time robotic systems deployed on hardware.

Responsibilities

• Own the real‑time closed loop from sensing to motion, including state estimation, feedback and predictive control.
• Make hard, honest engineering calls about what can be estimated and design fail‑safe systems.
• Build robust hard‑real‑time software that runs on physical robots, not just in simulation.
• Set the technical direction toward learning‑based and whole‑body control.

Skills

Real-time control

State estimation

Kalman/Particle

C++ development

ROS/ROS2

Hardware integration

Education

Bachelor's in robotics or controls

Tools

Linux

Git

GDB

Job description

Build the Path Forward

At Path Robotics, we’re attacking a trillion dollar opportunity - doing things that have never been done before to support an industry hurting from a lack of skilled labor. Big, hard problems are what Path tackles every day, and our people are our greatest asset to get that job done. Our intelligent, hardworking team of people do the impossible every single day, yet remain incredibly kind, humble, and always ready to support one another.

We are building an elite robotics team to solve real-time, high-accuracy manipulation — making a robot arm and end-effector do precise physical work in the real world, from live sensor feedback, on platforms that are never perfectly calibrated. We are looking for an exceptional hands‑on engineer to own the control‑and‑estimation heart of that system: the closed loop that turns what the robot senses into accurate motion, in real time, robustly, on real hardware — and to set its technical direction as it grows.

What you’ll do

• Own the real‑time closed loop from sensing to motion, hands‑on: state estimation, feedback and predictive control, and the correction of end‑effector trajectories to hit accuracy targets under uncertainty, noise and latency.
• Make hard, honest engineering calls about what can and cannot be estimated from the available sensing, and design systems that know their own uncertainty and fail safely.
• Build robust hard‑real‑time software that runs reliably on physical robots, not just in simulation.
• Set the technical direction toward learning‑based and whole‑body control.

Who You Are

• Deep, first‑principles real‑time control and state estimation — model‑predictive control, Kalman/particle/moving‑horizon estimation, observability analysis.
• Manipulation robotics — arm kinematics and dynamics, trajectory generation and correction, coordinate frames, hand‑eye and extrinsic calibration.
• Sensor‑guided motion / visual servoing — closed perception‑to‑control loops on real hardware (vision‑ or sensor‑guided manipulation)
• Track record of real‑time robotic systems, built and run on hardware.

• Depth in robot perception — geometric/model‑based vision, 3D sensing, point‑cloud registration, calibration — to define what your control loop needs from perception and to reason about how perception error propagates into motion.

• Modern, production C++ for real‑time systems.
• ROS / ROS 2 and the discipline of hard‑real‑time software — deterministic loops, timing budgets, buffered concurrency, thread‑safety, debugging on real hardware.

Why You’ll Love It Here

• Daily free lunch to keep you fueled and connected with the team
• Flexible PTO so you can take the time you need, when you need it
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 6 weeks fully paid parental leave, plus an additional 6–8 weeks for birthing parents (12–14 weeks total)
• 401(k) retirement plan through Empower
• Generous employee referral bonuses—help us grow our team!

Who We Are

At Path Robotics we love coming to work to solve interesting and tough challenges but also because our ideas are welcomed and valued. We encourage unique thinking and are dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process or any part of the hiring process, please contact [e-mail]. We are committed to providing equal access and will work with qualified individuals to ensure a fair and accessible hiring experience. We will respond to your request within 48 hours.