Senior AI Software Engineer, Perception

Agility Robotics; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); Hybrid; USD 197,000 - 307,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) Plan

Equity

Insurance Coverage

Benefit Start Date

Well-Being Support

Unlimited PTO (Exempt)

12 holidays (winter shutdown)

On-Site Perks: Catered lunches

Parental Leave

Growth opportunities

Relocation Assistance

Annual discretionary bonus

Job summary

Agility Robotics seeks a Senior AI Software Engineer, Perception, to own the design and implementation of perception algorithms that let Digit safely interpret humans and hazards as it operates in open environments.

You will drive adoption of state-of-the-art models, push best practices across model development, and optimize pipelines for embedded hardware while collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure the perception system integrates with the full robot.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in machine learning/perception for robotics.
• Demonstrated experience in safety-critical or safety-rated contexts.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and deploy perception algorithms enabling safety and efficiency as Digit moves to open spaces.
• Evaluate emerging perception research and decide what to build into future robot architectures.
• Promote best practices in model design, testing, and verification for reliable ML-based perception.
• Optimize deep neural networks and data pipelines for embedded CPUs/GPUs (CUDA, model optimization).
• Collaborate with navigation, controls, and hardware teams to serve the whole robot.

Skills

ML/Perception for robotics

Human detection

Convolutional neural networks

Multi-object tracking

Pose estimation

CPU/GPU optimization

MLOps

Publications (CVPR/ICCV/RSS/ICRA)

Education

Master’s or Ph.D. in AI/Robotics/CS

Tools

CUDA

Embedded systems

Data annotation tools

Job description

Agility's commercially deployed humanoids operate alongside teams in warehouses, manufacturing facilities, and distribution centers—tackling physically demanding and repetitive tasks while enabling workers to focus on higher-value work. With industry-leading safety standards and years of proven deployment data, we're pioneering a new era of automation that enhances human potential.

Agility Robotics builds Digit, the world's first commercially deployed humanoid robot — already at work in real warehouses and manufacturing facilities today. Digit has proven itself in structured work cells, and now we're pushing beyond them: into open floors, shared aisles, and dynamic spaces where people, forklifts, and other robots are all moving at once. That shift raises the bar for perception dramatically — Digit needs to reliably understand and react to environments that are no longer predictable or controlled.

That means perception isn't just about capability — it's about trust. Every person Digit works near is counting on our perception systems to see them, understand them, and never get it wrong, whether Digit is in a fixed work cell or navigating a busy, ever-changing facility. We're looking for a Senior AI Software Engineer, Perception to own the design and implementation of the algorithms that let Digit perceive its surroundings and stay safe as we take on these more dynamic, less constrained environments.

What You’ll Do

• Design, develop, and deploy perception algorithms (e.g., human detection algorithm) that enable safety and efficiency, defining how Digit perceives and reasons about humans and hazards as it expands from structured work cells into open, dynamic environments
• Drive adoption of state-of-the-art perception models by evaluating emerging research and technology and deciding what's worth building into future robot architectures
• Promote best practices in model design, implementation and testing to deliver high-quality, scalable software
• Optimize deep neural networks and associated data pipelines to run efficiently on embedded systems (e.g., model structure optimization, CUDA inference etc.)
• Set standards for verification and validation of ML-based perception models, especially for rare and safety-critical scenarios
• Collaborate across navigation, controls, and hardware teams to ensure the perception model serves the whole robot

What You Bring

• 5+ years of experience in machine learning/perception for robotics
• Master’s or Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Computer Science, or a related discipline, with a strong foundation in machine learning, robotics, and intelligent systems
• Demonstrated experience building ML/perception systems for safety-critical or safety-rated contexts — human detection, automotive, robotics, or a comparable regulated domain
• Deep expertise in convolutional neural networks, multi-object tracking, human detection, data association, supervised learning, and pose estimation, with strong intuition for where these approaches break down in unpredictable, real-world conditions
• Experience designing and optimizing algorithms for efficient execution across CPU and GPU architectures
• Experience with MLOps, including data annotation services, data storage, model evaluation tools, and model deployment
• Publications in the field (CVPR, ICCV, RSS, ICRA preferred)

Nice to Haves

• Experience designing and implementing perception systems for humanoid or legged robots specifically
• Experience building systems based on multiple sensor modalities including camera, lidar, infrared camera.
• Knowledge in traditional geometric computer vision and sensor hardware etc.

This a hybrid position based out of one of our Salem, Pittsburgh, or Fremont offices.

The final salary offered to a successful candidate will be dependent on several factors that may include but are not limited to: market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. This range may change based on geographical location and may be modified in the future.

Anticipated Salary Range

$197,000—$307,000 USD

In addition to base pay, our competitive total rewards package consists of the following for full-time employees:

• 401(k) Plan: Includes a 6% company match.
• Equity: Company stock options.
• Insurance Coverage: 100% company-paid medical, dental, vision, and short/long-term disability insurance for employees.
• Benefit Start Date: Eligible for benefits on your first day of employment.
• Well-Being Support: Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Time Off:
  • Exempt Employees: Flexible, unlimited PTO and 12 company holidays, including a winter shutdown.
  • Non-Exempt Employees: 10 vacation days, paid sick leave, and 12 company holidays, including a winter shutdown, annually.
• On-Site Perks: Catered lunches four times a week and a variety of healthy snacks and refreshments at our Salem and Pittsburgh locations.
• Parental Leave: Generous paid parental leave programs.
• Work Environment: A culture that supports flexible work arrangements.
• Growth Opportunities: Professional development and tuition reimbursement programs.
• Relocation Assistance: Provided for eligible roles.
• Annual Discretionary Bonus: Provided for eligible roles.

All of our roles are U.S.-based. Applicants must have current authorization to work in the United States.

Agility Robotics is committed to a work environment in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. Each individual has the right to work in a professional atmosphere that promotes equal employment opportunities and prohibits unlawful discriminatory practices, including harassment. Therefore, it is the policy of Agility Robotics to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, citizenship, national origin, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. Agility Robotics prohibits any such discrimination or harassment.