Senior Autonomous Robotics Engineer

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; Richland (WA); On-site; USD 148,000 - 233,900; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Pension plan

401(k) match

Vacation and holidays

Job summary

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, WA seeks a Lead Engineer to advance AI-enabled autonomous robotic systems. You will design robotic platforms, integrate autonomy stacks, and build digital twin testbeds for rapid field deployment across multiple domains.

Requires strong mechanical design experience, embedded systems know-how, and a track record with ROS/ROS2 and edge AI optimization. Must obtain security clearance; on-site work in Richland, WA is expected.

Qualifications

• BS/BA and 7+ years of relevant work experience -OR-
• MS/MA and 5+ years of relevant work experience -OR-
• PhD with 3+ year of relevant experience

Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical design and integration of robotic platforms (structural systems, actuation, mobility).
• Architect integrated autonomy stacks: perception, state estimation, planning, controls.
• Develop digital twin and test infrastructure for rapid validation and transition.
• Oversee hardware development, fabrication and system validation.
• Design SIL/HIL testing frameworks and lab autonomy facilities.
• Ensure safety, cybersecurity and compliance for defense applications.

Skills

Mechanical design

Robotics integration

Autonomy stack

Embedded systems

Python

C++

ROS/ROS2

Education

BS/BA or MS/MA or PhD with experience

Tools

NVIDIA Jetson-class devices

ROS/ROS2

Embedded compute platforms

Job description

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, WA seeks a Lead Engineer to advance AI-enabled autonomous robotic systems. You will design robotic platforms, integrate autonomy stacks, and build digital twin testbeds for rapid field deployment across multiple domains.

Requires strong mechanical design experience, embedded systems know-how, and a track record with ROS/ROS2 and edge AI optimization. Must obtain security clearance; on-site work in Richland, WA is expected.