Senior Robotics Engineer

Darwin Recruitment; California; Remote; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Darwin Recruitment is seeking a Senior Robotics Engineer for Perception and Autonomy. This remote US role involves leading perception and navigation software for large machines, with regular travel to customer sites and to our R&D team overseas.

You will collaborate with an international R&D team of software, hardware, and machinery engineers to shape the platform's technical direction. Strong ROS 2 experience and real-robot perception are essential.

Qualifications

• Senior robotics software experience (10+ years)
• Strong perception systems experience on real robots/vehicles
• Hands-on ROS 2 experience (Nav2)
• Sensor integration with hardware
• Strong C++ and/or Python
• Clear communication across time zones and languages
• Willingness to travel and occasional evening meetings

Responsibilities

• Design and build environment perception from lidar, radar, cameras, GNSS
• Build and tune navigation and autonomy on ROS 2 (Nav2, costmaps, planners)
• Integrate and evaluate sensors on real machines
• Design robot application software tying perception, planning and control
• Test on real machines in the field and iterate improvements
• Collaborate with international R&D team across time zones

Skills

ROS 2

Nav2

C++

Python

Perception

Navigation

Sensor fusion

Team collaboration

Travel

Tools

Lidar

Radar

Cameras

GNSS

Nav2

Job description

Senior Robotics Engineer, Perception and Autonomy

Location: Remote, United States (Eastern or Central time preferred). Regular travel to customer job sites and to our R&D team overseas.

About the company

We are a fast growing, venture backed and profitable robotics company that turns heavy

construction machines into autonomous, software defined machines. Our technology

already works every day on large energy and infrastructure projects across the US, and

we are now building the next generation of our autonomy platform.

The role

You will lead the development of perception and navigation software that lets large

machines understand their surroundings and work safely on their own on busy outdoor

job sites. You will work closely with an experienced international R&D team of software,

hardware and machinery engineers, and help shape the technical direction of the

platform.

What you’ll do

• Design and build environment perception: detecting obstacles, people, terrain and
• site features from lidar, radar, cameras and GNSS
• Build and tune navigation and autonomy on ROS 2, including Nav2, costmaps and
• planners
• Integrate and evaluate new sensors on real machines, and help choose the sensor set
• Design the robot application software that ties perception, planning and machine control together
• Test on real machines in the field and turn field results into improvements
• Work across time zones with the R&D team, and spend time with them in person
• Bring senior judgement to architecture and priority decisions

What you’ll bring

• Senior experience in robotics software (around 10 years or more)
• Strong experience building perception systems that run on real robots or vehicles
• outdoors
• Hands on ROS 2 experience, ideally including Nav2
• Experience integrating sensors and software with hardware
• Strong C++ and/or Python
• Clear, patient communication with colleagues from different countries and language
• backgrounds
• Willingness to travel to job sites and to work some evening hours for team meetings

Nice to have

• Autonomy for off road, construction, agricultural or mowing machines
• Radar or lidar perception on compute constrained hardware
• Automotive ADAS or heavy equipment background
• Experience working with teams in Asia

Why join

• Your work goes straight onto real machines on real job sites, not just into demos
• A profitable, growing company with strong investor backing
• A senior team that values ownership and good judgement
• Remote working with flexible hours, plus travel to the field and to the international
• R&D team