Robotics Systems Engineer

C5R; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

C5R in San Francisco is seeking a robotics systems engineer to build, bring up, and improve robotic systems that power our automated research facility.

You will work across the robotics stack—controls, firmware, runtimes, perception, teleoperation, and autonomy—collaborating with ML researchers to diagnose failures and iteratively enhance hardware and software.

Qualifications

• Strong practical robotics, mechatronics, or controls engineering experience and real system debugging.
• Comfort moving between software and hardware: reading logs, Python, and lower-level languages like Rust, C++, or C.

Responsibilities

• Debugging GMSL firmware, a CAN bus issue, or a video encoding flake.
• Tuning a teleoperation stack for smoother demonstrations.

Skills

Robotics experience

Mechatronics

Controls engineering

Python

Rust/C/C++

Tools

GMSL firmware

CAN bus

Firmware debugging

Job description

C5R is building facilities that connect frontier AI to the physical world. We see this connection as a force for good in expanding humanity's tech tree.

The role

We are hiring a robotics systems engineer to build, bring up, and improve the robot systems that make an automated research facility work.

Our robots are controlled with a mix of general‑purpose models, including vision‑language‑action models and world models; classical routines that interact with fixtures; and sometimes integrated with reverse‑engineered scientific equipment.

You will work across the robotics stack: controls, firmware, robot runtimes, perception, teleoperation, and autonomy. Examples of work might include:

• Debugging GMSL firmware, a CAN bus issue, or a video encoding flake.
• Tuning a teleoperation stack so operators can generate smoother, higher‑quality demonstrations.
• Building and debugging robot runtime software that can run robot arms, cameras, reverse‑engineered instruments, and other facility devices as part of one coordinated system.
• Collaborating with ML researchers to understand why a robot failed, then concretely improving the hardware, software, or calibration to fix it.

Who we’re looking for

• Strong practical robotics, mechatronics, or controls engineering experience. You should have built and debugged real systems, not only simulations.
• Comfort moving between software and hardware: reading logs, writing Python, working in a lower‑level systems language such as Rust, C++, or C, and opening up the machine when the bug is physical.
• Good fundamentals in controls and kinematics.

Nice to have

• PCB design and bring‑up, especially small interface boards, power distribution, interlocks, connectors, and test points.
• CAD fluency and experience with 3D printing, machining, laser cutting, or other rapid prototyping workflows.
• Experience with real‑time operating systems.
• Experience with lab automation or scientific equipment.

Compensation & terms

We are open to full‑time roles and temporary stints of at least 3 months. Compensation depends on experience and structure. This role is on site in San Francisco only.