Robotics Control & Motion Planning Engineer

Flexiv Robotics; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Flexiv Robotics in San Jose, CA, is seeking a Robotics Control & Motion Planning Engineer to design, implement, and optimize motion planning and control for high-DOF manipulators in contact-rich environments. You will collaborate across perception, control, and hardware teams, benchmark planners, and contribute to core robotics platforms, documentation, and best practices.

Qualified candidates have a PhD or MS with 3+ years of hands-on experience and strong skills in C++/Python, force/torque

Qualifications

• PhD or MS in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field — or equivalent industry experience
• 3+ years of hands-on experience with robotic systems software engineering
• Experience with force/torque control and contact-rich manipulation
• Familiarity with Force/Impedance/Admittance control
• Proficiency in robotics control, motion planning, and trajectory optimization, including kinematics, dynamics, and feedback control
• Strong theoretical and practical understanding of motion planning for high-DOF manipulators, including planners that operate under contact and force constraints
• Proficiency in C++ and/or Python; demonstrated experience deploying motion planning software on real robots and simulators
• Familiarity with AI or machine learning techniques applied to robotics, as well as safety standards and best practices in industrial automation, is a plus

Responsibilities

• Design and deploy motion planning algorithms for high-DOF manipulators in contact-rich tasks.
• Co-own the interface between the motion planning stack and the whole body control module; define shared state representations and handoff protocols.
• Develop planners that reason over contact modes, sequencing, and force/torque constraints.
• Benchmark planners in simulation and on hardware; monitor reliability and task success.
• Integrate control algorithms into real-time software frameworks; run simulations and hardware tests.
• Collaborate with perception, control, and hardware teams to translate requirements into planning problems.
• Improve software quality through code reviews, tests, and best practices.
• Manage development schedules and milestones; contribute to documentation and platform improvements.

Skills

force/torque control

contact-rich manipulation

robotics control

motion planning

trajectory optimization

kinematics/dynamics

feedback control

AI/ML in robotics

Education

PhD or MS in Robotics/ME/CS

Tools

C++

Python

Job description

Introduction

We are building control & motion planning capabilities for high-DOF robotic manipulators operating in contact-rich environments. This role sits at the intersection of motion planning and whole body control — you will work closely with the whole body control team to develop motion planners that go beyond free-space motion, enabling robots to reliably execute tasks that involve sustained and regulated contact: precision assembly, surface finishing, polishing, and other compliant manipulation tasks.

Role Description

This is a full-time, on-site Robotics Control & Motion Planning Engineer role based in San Jose, CA. The engineer will design, implement, and optimize motion planning and control algorithms for high-DOF robotic systems, ensuring safe, precise, and efficient robot behavior in dynamic environments. Day-to-day responsibilities include the following points.

• Design, implement, test, and deploy motion planning algorithms for high-DOF manipulators, with emphasis on contact-rich and compliant manipulation tasks such as assembly and surface treatment
• Co-own the software interface between the motion planning stack and the whole body control module; define and maintain shared state representations, constraints, and control handoff protocols
• Develop planners that reason over contact modes, contact sequencing, and force/torque constraints — not just collision-free path finding
• Benchmark and evaluate planners in simulation and on real hardware across contact-rich scenarios; own reliability and task-success metrics
• Integrating control algorithms into real-time software frameworks, and conducting simulation and hardware experiments to validate performance.
• Collaborate across perception, control, and hardware teams to translate physical task requirements into well-defined planning problems
• Drive software quality through code review, testing standards, and continuous improvement of engineering best practices
• Manage and communicate development schedules and milestones
• The engineer will also contribute to documentation, performance benchmarking, and continuous improvement of Flexiv’s core robotics platforms.

Qualifications

• PhD or MS in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field — or equivalent industry experience
• 3+ years of hands-on experience with robotic systems software engineering
• Experience with force/torque control and contact-rich manipulation
• Familiarity with Force/ Impedance/Admittance control
• Proficiency in robotics control, motion planning, and trajectory optimization, including kinematics, dynamics, and feedback control.
• Strong theoretical and practical understanding of motion planning for high-DOF manipulators, including planners that operate under contact and force constraints
• Proficiency in C++ and/or Python; demonstrated experience deploying motion planning software on real robots and simulators
• Familiarity with AI or machine learning techniques applied to robotics, as well as safety standards and best practices in industrial automation, is a plus.