Robotics Generalist

Skip; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Skip, a leading startup in San Francisco, is seeking a senior robotics engineer to lead the software for wearable robots. This role involves working full-stack and collaborating closely with cross-functional teams.

Ideal candidates will have 5+ years of robotics experience, strong skills in embedded systems and C/C++, and the ability to contribute to various projects while working in a hybrid model at the office.

Qualifications

• 5+ years' experience in robotics.
• Willingness to work in small teams and startups.
• Familiarity with motor control and actuator characterization.

Responsibilities

• Architect and implement robotic software subsystems.
• Own core software features and control features.
• Contribute to sensing, decision making, and logging.

Skills

Robotics experience

C/C++ programming

Python proficiency

Control systems

Sensor integration

Education

5+ years' experience in robotics

Tools

Embedded systems

AI-coding tools

FreeRTOS or real-time OS

Job description

ABOUT US:

Skip is on a mission to make life joyful through powered movement.

Movement is a powerful way to build physical, mental and social health. Yet it is elusive for 2 billion people due to age, injury, or disability. We are building products that will restore mobility for millions and enable a new frontier of joyful movement experiences. We want to build a future where a grandparent can easily outrun their grandkids and no one is left behind at the trailhead.

Skip is a 22-person early-stage start-up that spun out of Google X in 2023. With deep cross-disciplinary expertise and key partnerships (e.g. with Arc’teryx) we are uniquely positioned to launch the first commercially successful wearable robotic device, the MO/GO, develop a platform to launch future Movewear products and transform millions of lives in the coming years.

THE ROLE:

We are seeking a senior robotics engineer to own the software that makes our wearable robots move. You'll work across the full stack, from the on-device control loop running in real time on a person's body, to the broader software platform that supports it: data pipelines, device management, tooling, and everything in between.

Some of the things you will work on:

• Architecting and implementing robotic software subsystems across our wearable robotics fleet, sharing components across different products and robot iterations.
• Ownership of core software and control features, including mechatronics firmware, motor control firmware, and platform features.
• Contribute to the real-time control loop, including sensing, decision making, logging, and safety monitoring / fault detection.
• Contributing to machine-learning-based methods across simulation, training, labeling, on-device inference, sensor data collection, and testing.
• Supporting and contributing to hardware-in-the-loop and on-body test frameworks that validate system behaviour across the full range of real-world conditions, including at device provisioning / factory bring-up.
• Collaborating with firmware, hardware, and software teammates to define interfaces, resolve cross-disciplinary tradeoffs, and catch integration failures early.
• Contributing to system architecture decisions for current and future products, including our Parkinson's device and future Movewear platform.
• Wear prototypes several hours a week to participate in data collection, on-body testing and provide feedback.

Basic Qualifications:

• 5+ years' experience in robotics
• Proven track record of writing software that runs on hardware
• Experience in small teams, ideally in start ups; you’re willing to wear many hats and chip in across the board
• Experience with embedded systems -- you can write C/C++ and you understand what's happening at the hardware level
• Proficiency in Python and/or C++ for algorithm development, data analysis, and test scripting, including common AI-coding tools (and their pitfalls)
• Strong foundation in control systems
• Experience with sensor integration and validation (IMUs, encoders, force sensors, or similar)
• Ability to work at the Skip Bay Area office at least 3 days/week

Bonus Points:

• Experience with wearable robotics, exoskeletons, or prosthetics
• Knowledge of motor control (field-oriented control for BLDC’s) and actuator characterisation
• Embedded linux experience
• Knowledge of communication protocols (e.g. CAN)
• Experience with deep learning, especially for robotic systems
• Experience with actuator characterisation and integration
• Familiarity with FreeRTOS or other real-time operating systems
• Experience shipping consumer hardware through DVT/PVT and into production
• Personal motivation to improve human movement

This is a full time hybrid position working at the Skip office in the Dogpatch neighborhood of San Francisco.

Skip is an equal opportunity employer. Our hiring decisions are based on need and competence to satisfy said need. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other legally protected status.

Any and all offers of employment extended by Skip are conditional on candidates’ ability to provide satisfactory proof of eligibility to maintain full-time employment in the United States.