Robotics Software Engineer - ROS2 & PLC

The Chronicle Of Higher Education, Inc.; Gaithersburg (MD); On-site; USD 70,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore is seeking a PREP Research Associate to support robotics research through the PREP program with NIST collaboration. You will develop scalable software architectures using ROS 2, C++, Java, and C# while implementing PLC interfaces to connect autonomous logic with industrial hardware.

The role involves hands-on testing on real hardware and simulators, documentation, and collaboration with NIST researchers.

Qualifications

• ROS 2 experience and hands-on software development in robotics
• Proficiency in C++ and/or Java; also experience with C# and Python
• Experience with PLC programming for industrial automation and hardware interfaces
• Familiarity with Linux/Unix (Ubuntu) and Windows environments
• Strong object-oriented design, debugging, and documentation skills

Responsibilities

• Develop, integrate, and maintain scalable robotic software architectures using ROS 2, C++, Java, and C# with NIST researchers
• Implement PLC programming and design interfaces bridging high-level autonomous logic with industrial hardware and sensors
• Build device drivers, communication protocols, and APIs for cross-platform interoperability
• Conduct hands-on system testing, debugging, and performance optimization on real hardware and simulations
• Document codebase architectures and write system user guides; present progress to team leads

Skills

ROS 2 experience

C++

Java

C#

PLC programming

Linux

Windows

Git

OOP

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in CS/Robotics/CE/EE/Software Engineering

Tools

Git

ROS 2

PLC programming tools

Job description

Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore is seeking a PREP Research Associate to support robotics research through the PREP program with NIST collaboration. You will develop scalable software architectures using ROS 2, C++, Java, and C# while implementing PLC interfaces to connect autonomous logic with industrial hardware.

The role involves hands-on testing on real hardware and simulators, documentation, and collaboration with NIST researchers.