Robotics Engineer - Motion Planning

Maxwell Bond; Massachusetts; On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Maxwell Bond is seeking a Senior Robotics Engineer to own the motion planning stack for a multi-axis robotic platform. You will drive planning, integration, and validation on real hardware, collaborating across motion planning, controls, perception, and safety.

The role demands practical experience deploying ROS 2, MoveIt, and motion-planning algorithms. The ideal candidate will design robust path planning, collaborate with hardware teams, and contribute to architecture and documentation while

Qualifications

• Deep understanding of ROS 2 and MoveIt ecosystems and ability to configure kinematic models, planning scenes and planner interfaces including OMPL, STOMP, CHOMP and Pilz for complex robotic hardware.
• Proven experience in motion planning, trajectory generation, kinematics and collision avoidance for robot systems.
• Experience with validating systems in simulation and diagnosing issues across software, hardware and kinematic models.

Responsibilities

• Lead motion planning and software integration across kinematics, trajectory generation, robot models and collision avoidance.
• Develop and optimise ROS 2 motion planning and trajectory execution using algorithms such as RRT/RRT*, PRM and trajectory optimisation.
• Develop clean, testable C++/Python software while contributing to architecture, technical decisions and system documentation.

Skills

C++/Python

Motion planning

Collision avoidance

Kinematics

Safety-aware planning

Simulation validation

Tools

ROS 2

MoveIt

MoveIt 2

OMPL

STOMP

CHOMP

Pilz

RRT

RRT*

PRM

Job description

This is an opportunity to take genuine ownership of a complex robotic platform. You’ll join a technically ambitious team developing advanced autonomous machinery for demanding real-world applications, working across motion planning, controls, perception, hardware and safety.

This is a hands-on, high-ownership role serving as the primary technical driver for implementing motion planning and control across a unique multi-axis robotic platform. You’ll be responsible for developing robust path planning and collision avoidance capabilities. The platform combines multi-axis linear and rotational actuation to perform complex precision operations. Multiple manipulators working within a confined spaces, creating challenging planning and collision-avoidance problems.

What's in it for you?

• Real ownership: Drive the motion planning stack rather than working on an isolated part of the system.
• Complex robotics: Solve challenging problems around kinematics, collision avoidance, constrained environments and trajectory performance.
• Physical hardware: See your work move from simulation into real-world robotic systems.
• Technical influence: Work with a highly collaborative team with the autonomy to shape engineering decisions.

The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of the ROS 2 and MoveIt ecosystems, with the ability to configure and adapt kinematic models, planning scenes and planner interfaces including OMPL, STOMP, CHOMP and Pilz for complex robotic hardware.

What you’ll do

• Lead motion planning and software integration, covering kinematics, trajectory generation, robot models and collision avoidance.
• Develop and optimise ROS 2 motion planning and trajectory execution using approaches such as RRT/RRT*, PRM and trajectory optimisation.
• Develop clean, testable C++/Python software while contributing to architecture, technical decisions and system documentation.

We’re looking for a Senior Robotics Engineer with strong practical experience developing and deploying motion planning systems on physical robots.

Ideally, you’ll have:

• Motion planning & manipulation: RRT/RRT*, trajectory optimisation, kinematics, collision avoidance and safety-aware planning.
• Strong C++/Python, ROS 2, MoveIt/MoveIt 2 experience deploying reliable robotic systems.
• Experience validating systems in simulation and diagnosing issues across software, hardware and kinematic models.
• Experience with complex mechatronic systems within industrial automation, real-time trajectory execution, hardware-in-the-loop testing or safety-rated motion control is highly valuable.
• Experience with perception, sensor integration, LiDAR, depth cameras, point clouds, SLAM or reactive motion planning is also a plus

The opportunity

Looking for challenging motion planning problems, direct access to real hardware and meaningful ownership of the motion stack, this is an opportunity to make a visible impact on an advanced robotic platform.