Robotics Software Engineer, Vision-Language Reasoning & Behaviors

FieldAI; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

FieldAI’s Irvine team builds risk-aware, field-ready AI systems for embodied robotics with real deployments on hardware. We seek engineers proficient in C++, Python, ROS 2, and vision-based robotics to develop visual reasoning, onboard inference, and reusable robot behaviors for on-edge deployments.

You will ship systems, collaborate across AI, software, and robotics engineering, and help shape FieldAI’s next generation of robotics solutions in dynamic environments.

Qualifications

• MS in robotics, computer science, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, or a related field, with 3+ years building software that runs on real robots.
• Strong C++ and Python, and hands-on ROS 2 experience designing nodes and systems that ship.
• Working knowledge of behavior trees and computer vision.
• Experience integrating learned models into a robotics system.

Responsibilities

• Develop visual reasoning and inspection algorithm and pipeline for real-world deployments.
• Build inspection and various robot behaviors as reusable primitives.
• Integrate on-edge vision-language inference into the behavior loop under real compute and latency budgets.
• Develop the robot’s reasoning and judgment legible and integrate it across the mission workflow.

Skills

C++

Python

ROS 2

Behavior trees / computer vision

Education

MS in robotics

MS in CS / aerospace Eng / EE or related

Tools

ROS 2

Job description

FieldAI’s Irvine team is where embodied AI meets real robots, real sensors, and real field deployments. Based in the heart of Southern California’s robotics ecosystem, we build risk-aware, reliable, field-ready AI systems that solve the hardest problems in robotics and unlock the full potential of embodied intelligence. If you want your work to ship, get tested on hardware, and improve through real deployments, Irvine is the place. We go beyond typical data-driven approaches or pure transformer-only architectures, combining rigorous engineering with learning systems proven in globally deployed solutions that deliver results today and get better every time our robots run in the field.

What You Will Get To Do

• Develop visual reasoning and inspection algorithm and pipeline for real-world deployments.
• Build inspection and various robot behaviors as reusable primitives.
• Integrate on-edge vision-language inference into the behavior loop under real compute and latency budgets.
• Develop the robot’s reasoning and judgment legible and integrate it across the mission workflow.

What You Have

• MS in robotics, computer science, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, or a related field, with 3+ years building software that runs on real robots.
• Strong C++ and Python, and hands-on ROS 2 experience designing nodes and systems that ship.
• Working knowledge of behavior trees and computer vision.
• Experience integrating learned models into a robotics system.

What Will Set You Apart

• Experience with open-vocabulary detection or visual grounding with VLMs on robots.
• GPU inference optimization on embedded hardware (TensorRT, quantization, ONNX).
• Thermal imaging or anomaly detection against reference imagery.
• Deployments on legged platforms in industrial environments.

Our salary range is generous and we consider each individual’s background and experience when determining final compensation. Base pay may vary based on role scope, job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and the Irvine, California market.

Why Join FieldAI in Irvine?

In Irvine, you will work where the robots are. Our local team builds and tests systems on real hardware with real sensors, then ships them to operate in unstructured, previously unknown environments around the world. We are solving one of robotics’ hardest challenges: reliable deployment outside the lab. Our Field Foundational Models™ raise the bar for perception, planning, localization, and manipulation, with an emphasis on explainability and safety for real-world use.

You will collaborate with a world-class team that thrives on creativity, resilience, and bold thinking. We bring deep experience from organizations such as DeepMind, NASA JPL, Boston Dynamics, NVIDIA, Amazon, Tesla Autopilot, Cruise, Zoox, Toyota Research Institute, and SpaceX, along with a track record of field deployments and strong performance in DARPA challenge segments.

Be Part of the Next Robotics Revolution

We are looking for builders who want their work to leave the whiteboard and show up on robots. If you enjoy tackling tough, uncharted questions and working across disciplines, you will find your people here. Our teams span AI, software, robotics engineering, product, field deployment, and technical communication, all focused on shipping systems that perform in the real world.

Our headquarters is in Irvine, and we partner closely with teams there as well as colleagues across the US and around the world. Join us in Southern California and help define what dependable, field-ready autonomy looks like.

We value diverse perspectives and are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace. We evaluate candidates and employees based on merit, qualifications, and performance, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or any other legally protected status.