Senior Robotics Engineer

Whelix; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Equity

Ownership of software

Founders & Boston community access

Job summary

Whelix is seeking a seasoned robotics software engineer to own the software that runs our robots, from motor drivers to the ROS 2 system and on-robot services connecting to the cloud.

You will collaborate with robotics, web, mechanical and electrical engineers, plus end-users to ensure robust field performance. Boston-area relocation may be involved as projects scale.

Qualifications

• 5+ years building software that controls physical machines.
• Strong modern C++ and Python on Linux, with hands-on ROS 2.
• Motor control over CAN or EtherCAT: drive configuration, homing, limits and fault recovery.
• Docker, systemd and CI that deploys to real hardware, in production.
• A safety mindset: you know why interlocks live on the machine.

Responsibilities

• Build one ROS 2 platform in C++ and Python for gantry, flask handling, gripper, pipette and imaging subsystems; new hardware generations are a configuration and driver plugin, not a fork.
• Make the robot reliable: automatic recovery from device, bus and camera faults, with safety interlocks and motion boundary checks on the machine.
• Own deployment: the robot container image, systemd services and the hardware-in-the-loop CI pipeline that ships to our fleet.
• Bring vision-based verification into production so the robot confirms critical steps on its own.
• Install and commission robots at customer labs (roughly one week per month at peak) and turn field failures into tests.

Skills

C++

Python

ROS 2

Linux

CAN/EtherCAT

Robotics software

Deployment automation

Tools

Docker

systemd

CI/CD

Git

Job description

Role Overview

You will own the software that runs our robots, from motor and device drivers over CAN and EtherCAT to the ROS 2 system and the on-robot services that connect to the cloud. You will work with a robotics software engineer, a web-platform engineer, our mechanical and electrical engineers, and the scientists who use the machine.

What You Will Work On

• Build one ROS 2 platform in C++ and Python for the gantry, flask handling, gripper, pipette and imaging subsystems, where new hardware generations are a configuration and driver plugin, not a fork
• Make the robot reliable: automatic recovery from device, bus and camera faults, with safety interlocks and motion boundary checks enforced on the machine
• Own deployment: the robot container image, systemd services and the hardware-in-the-loop CI pipeline that ships to our fleet
• Bring vision-based verification into production so the robot confirms critical steps on its own
• Install and commission robots at customer labs (roughly one week per month at peak) and turn field failures into tests

Qualifications

• 5+ years building software that controls physical machines, at least 2 on systems that shipped to customers
• Strong modern C++ and Python on Linux, with hands-on ROS 2
• Motor control over CAN or EtherCAT: drive configuration, homing, limits and fault recovery
• Docker, systemd and CI that deploys to real hardware, in production
• A safety mindset: you know why interlocks live on the machine

Nice-to-Haves

• EtherCAT specifically (SOEM or IgH, CiA 402 drives)
• Computer vision in production on embedded GPUs
• Lab automation, liquid handling or wet-lab experience

Perks & Growth Opportunities

• Ownership of the robot software end to end, from motor control to the customer-facing system
• Competitive cash compensation plus early-stage equity
• Health benefits
• Build alongside the founders, with access to Boston's robotics and deep-tech community through MassRobotics and The Engine