Robotics Validation Engineer

Robust.AI; San Carlos (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Medical, Dental, and Vision

Flexible vacation and sick leave

Paid parental leave

Job summary

Robust AI is seeking a hands-on test automation engineer to support testing and validation of mobile robotic systems. You will run and automate tests in simulation and on real robots, gather log data, and report findings to guide future development.

You will collaborate across navigation, perception, and control stacks, reproduce failures, and help build robust benchmarks. Strong programming, Linux, and clear technical writing are essential for success.

Qualifications

• Proficiency in Python or C++ for scripting and data analysis.
• 1-2 years of experience in test automation or robotics or both.
• Familiarity with Linux-based development and testing environments.
• Strong communication and technical writing skills.

Responsibilities

• Design and maintain automated test pipelines for simulation and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing.
• Collect and process log data to assess system behavior and reliability.
• Support End-of-Line tests with the manufacturing team.
• Develop experiments in simulation and on physical robots, including benchmarking and validation scenarios.
• Execute test plans for system-level validation and assist in debugging across the autonomy stack.
• Improve observability with metrics, dashboards, and structured reporting.

Skills

Python

C++

Tools

ROS1/ROS2

rviz

Job description

About the Role:

Robust AI is a fast-growing, early-stage startup founded in 2019 by an unsurpassed team of veterans in robotics, AI and business. We are a collaborative group with a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives, seeking talented individuals who are just as excited about robotics and AI as we are! Help us redefine the very foundation of robotics and build robots that are smart, collaborative, robust, safe, flexible and genuinely autonomous.

We're looking for a hands‑on engineer to support the testing and validation of mobile robotic systems. This role focuses on executing and automating tests—both in simulation and on real robots—to verify system behavior under real‑world constraints. You'll contribute to establishing robotic performance benchmarks and evaluating how navigation, perception, and control systems perform under varying conditions, and report and summarize findings that shape future development and ensure product quality.

Responsibilities:

• Design and maintain automated test pipelines for simulation and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing
• Collect and process log data to assess system behavior and reliability
• Support the manufacturing team to develop, implement, and maintain End-of-Line tests
• Develop and execute experiments—both in simulation and on physical robots—including failure case reproduction, performance benchmarking, and validation scenario authoring
• Execute test plans developed by engineering and product teams for system‑level validation
• Assist in debugging issues encountered during testing across the autonomy stack (e.g. navigation, controls, perception)
• Improve test observability through metrics, dashboards, and structured reporting

Required Qualifications:

• Proficiency in Python or C++, especially for scripting and data analysis
• 1-2 years of experience in test automation or robotics or both!
• Familiarity with Linux-based development and testing environments
• Strong communication skills and attention to detail, especially in technical writing and documentation
• Comfort with robotics experimentation and troubleshooting in resource‑constrained and real‑time systems

Nice to Haves:

• Experience with ROS1 or ROS2, rviz, and associated developer tools
• Exposure to Docker and containerized workflows
• Familiarity with robotics simulators (e.g., Gazebo, Isaac Sim)
• Exposure to cloud or CI tooling (e.g., GitLab runners, AWS, GCP) for experiment execution and test data storage
• Experience working with data aggregation and slicing, or tools like InfluxDB, Pandas, or Jupyter

What we offer:

• Base pay dependent on your skills, qualifications and experience
• Stock options and huge potential for growth.
• Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage
• Flexible vacation and sick leave practices
• Paid parental leave

Robust AI fosters a culture of belonging and a shared commitment to equality and equity. Having a diverse set of perspectives is key to ensuring AI and robotics serve the needs of all.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.