Robotics Software Engineer II — Embedded Systems

Rocket Lab Corporation; Pasadena (CA); On-site; USD 108,000 - 153,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity compensation

Employee Stock Purchase Program

Industry-leading benefits

Job summary

Rocket Lab Robotics in Pasadena, CA is hiring a Software Engineer II - Robotics to develop software for robotic platforms and embedded systems. The role collaborates with mechanical, electrical, controls, and production teams to turn concepts into reliable hardware-backed software.

The ideal candidate has hands-on robotics experience, real-time/embedded software knowledge, and strong fundamentals in software architecture, testing, and release practices. Equity is part of total compensation.

Qualifications

• Degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, Mechatronics, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent experience.
• 2-5 years of professional software engineering experience in robotics or hardware-integrated software.
• Strong proficiency in C++ and/or Python.
• Experience with ROS or ROS 2 including real-time variants.
• Hands-on experience integrating software with motors, actuators, encoders, sensors, and embedded systems.
• Experience with real-time or embedded software and hardware bring-up.
• Solid fundamentals: architecture, Git-based workflows, CI/CD, automated testing, release practices, and production support.
• Ability to define requirements and deliver software in a cross-functional hardware development environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain software for robotic systems, embedded interfaces, control applications, test systems, and operator-facing tools.
• Implement software for robotic platforms, motion-control systems, sensing systems, machine interfaces, production tools, and hardware test environments.
• Support software development from concept through implementation, simulation, hardware bring-up, integration, test, deployment, and production support.
• Partner with mechanical, electrical, controls, systems, manufacturing, test, and quality teams to define requirements and interfaces.
• Integrate software with motors, actuators, encoders, sensors, motion controllers, embedded systems, machine vision, and industrial networks.
• Troubleshoot issues across software, hardware, and production equipment.
• Support software quality through reviews, CI/CD, automated testing, documentation, and release practices.

Skills

C++/Python

ROS/ROS 2

Embedded systems

Real-time software

Git/CI-CD

Hardware bring-up

Software architecture

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Software Eng / CS / EE / Robotics degree or equivalent

Tools

Git workflows

CI/CD

Test automation

Machine vision interfaces

Job description

Rocket Lab Robotics in Pasadena, CA is hiring a Software Engineer II - Robotics to develop software for robotic platforms and embedded systems. The role collaborates with mechanical, electrical, controls, and production teams to turn concepts into reliable hardware-backed software.

The ideal candidate has hands-on robotics experience, real-time/embedded software knowledge, and strong fundamentals in software architecture, testing, and release practices. Equity is part of total compensation.