Senior Mechatronics Engineer, VLA Gripping System

Sorting Robotics Inc.; California, Northern (MO, KY); Hybrid; USD 170,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Flexible spending account

Paid time off

Parental leave

0.2% equity

Job summary

Sorting Robotics Inc. in California seeks a Cognizant Engineer to own a VLA-powered gripping and assembly system from concept to deployment.

You will lead end-to-end design of the gripper and mechatronics, integrate vision and tactile sensing into a 6DOF arm, and operationalize learned manipulation policies for real-world use. You will work directly with the founder and leadership, travel 1–5%, and contribute across flagship products as needed.

Qualifications

• Hands-on leadership for a VLA-driven system from concept to deployment.
• Experience shipping robotic systems on an R&D team.
• Manipulation/gripping experience and end-effector design.
• Familiarity with ROS,OpenVLA, or similar policies is a strong plus.
• Strong Python and real-time/embedded control knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Own cradle-to-grave VLA gripping system: concept, design, build and deployment.
• Design end-effector, actuation, GD&T, mass and cost tradeoffs.
• Integrate perception and sensing with a 6DOF arm.
• Operationalize policies and close the sim-to-real loop.
• Interface with suppliers for manufacturing feasibility and QA.

Skills

6DOF work & cobot arms

Python

ROS/ROS 2

VLA/learned policies

CAD & prototyping

End-to-end system design

Real hardware integration

Education

B.S. in Mechanical Engineering

B.S. in Electrical Engineering

B.S. in Mechatronics or Robotics

M.S. a plus

Tools

CAD

3D printing

Laser cutting

CNC

PCB prototyping

Job description

Sorting Robotics Inc. in California seeks a Cognizant Engineer to own a VLA-powered gripping and assembly system from concept to deployment.

You will lead end-to-end design of the gripper and mechatronics, integrate vision and tactile sensing into a 6DOF arm, and operationalize learned manipulation policies for real-world use. You will work directly with the founder and leadership, travel 1–5%, and contribute across flagship products as needed.