Robotics Engineer

Optimal Staffing; Warren (MI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Optimal Staffing in Warren, MI is seeking a Robotics Software Engineer to lead the development of a ROS 2-based dual-arm manipulation system capable of coordinating two arms and multiple grippers. You will own the end-to-end software lifecycle—from high-level architecture and simulation to real-time integration with industrial robot controllers and 3D vision sensors.

The role emphasizes motion planning with MoveIt 2, perception, and robust software development, including CI/CD in a ROS 2

Qualifications

• Master's degree in robotics or a related field
• Hands-on ROS 2 development experience
• Strong MoveIt 2 motion planning and perception background
• Proficient in C++ and Python

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and implementation of a ROS 2 dual-arm control architecture
• Define interfaces for motion planning, perception, and gripper management
• Develop and tune MoveIt 2-based planning for bimanual tasks
• Configure kinematic models, planning scenes, and controllers for multiple arms
• Build 3D perception pipelines using depth sensors for object detection and pose estimation
• Integrate software with industrial robots and maintain CI/CD processes

Skills

ROS 2 expertise

Motion planning

Perception & 3D vision

C++ & Python

System integration

Education

Master's degree in Robotics, Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field

Tools

MoveIt 2

ROS 2

PCL

OpenCV

Job description

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Robotics Software Engineer to lead the development of a next-generation dual-arm, ROS 2-based manipulation system capable of operating with multiple grippers in a flexible automation environment.

In this role, you will be responsible for architecting and implementing a robust, scalable ROS 2 software stack that coordinates two robotic arms and enables advanced motion planning and 3D perception for complex manipulation tasks. You will own the end-to-end software lifecycle: from high-level architecture and simulation, down to real-time integration with industrial robot controllers, and 3D vision sensors.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and implementation of a ROS 2-based dual-arm control architecture (nodes, topics, services, actions, lifecycle) that supports coordinated and independent arm motions.
• Define interfaces and APIs for motion planning, perception, and gripper/tool management.

Motion Planning & Coordination

• Develop, tune, and deploy advanced motion planning and manipulation algorithms using MoveIt 2 for dual-arm coordination (bimanual tasks, handovers, collision‑aware trajectories).
• Configure and maintain the kinematic models, planning scenes, and controllers for multiple robot arms and end‑effectors.
• Ensure safe, efficient trajectory generation in cluttered and dynamic environments.
• Design and integrate 3D perception pipelines (point clouds, depth maps, 3D sensors such as Photoneo PhoXi, RealSense, ZED) for robust object detection, pose estimation, and scene understanding.
• Fuse perception outputs with the planning scene to enable dual‑arm, multi‑gripper manipulation strategies (e.g., grasp selection, re‑grasping, handover).

Software Development & DevOps

• Write clean, efficient, production‑quality C++ and Python code within the ROS 2 ecosystem (ament, colcon, ros2_control, MoveIt 2 plugins).
• Establish and maintain CI/CD pipelines, code reviews, unit/integration tests, and documentation for the dual‑arm system.

Required Qualification

• Master's degree in Robotics, Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• ROS 2 Expertise: Proven, hands‑on experience developing complex robotics applications using ROS 2 and its core concepts (Nodes, Topics, Services, Actions, lifecycle management).
• Motion Planning: Deep understanding of kinematics, dynamics, and motion planning frameworks, with extensive hands‑on experience using MoveIt 2.
• Perception: Solid background in 3D computer vision and point cloud processing (PCL, OpenCV) for robotic manipulation tasks.
• Programming Skills: Strong proficiency in modern C++ and Python.
• System Integration: Experience interfacing with industrial robots and 3D vision hardware (e.g., RealSense, ZED).