Senior Robotics Engineer - Motion Planning

Maxwell Bond; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Maxwell Bond is seeking a Senior Robotics Motion Planning Engineer in the Boston area to drive motion planning and control across a multi-axis robotic platform.

You'll collaborate with perception, systems, hardware and software teams to deploy path planning, trajectory generation and collision avoidance on real robots with real-world testing.

Qualifications

• Hands-on robotics experience developing motion planning systems.
• Strong C++/Python development with ROS 2 in real-world robotics.
• Experience validating systems in simulation and debugging across hardware/software boundaries.

Responsibilities

• Lead motion planning and software integration across complex multi-axis robotic systems, including robot models, kinematics, trajectory planning and collision avoidance.
• Develop and optimise ROS 2 motion planning and trajectory execution using approaches such as RRT, PRM and trajectory optimisation.
• Collaborate with hardware and systems teams for tuning performance, constraints and safety on physical robots, including real-world testing.
• Write clean, testable C++/Python and document system architecture and decisions.

Skills

Motion planning

Robotics software

C++/Python

ROS 2

MoveIt/MoveIt 2

Trajectory optimisation

Kinematics

Collision avoidance

Simulation & debugging

Tools

MoveIt/MoveIt 2

ROS 2

Real-world robotics

Job description

If you want to spend your time tuning algorithms in simulation without ever touching the robot, this probably isn't the role for you.

This is a hands-on Senior Robotics Motion Planning Engineer opportunity for someone who wants to take sophisticated motion planning from code and simulation into real-world robotic systems.

The opportunity

You'll join a small, technically ambitious robotics team developing advanced autonomous machinery for demanding real-world applications. The work sits at the intersection of motion planning, robot control, perception, hardware integration and safety-critical system behaviour.

As a Senior Robotics Motion Planning Engineer, you'll be the primary technical driver for implementing motion planning and control across a complex multi-axis robotic platform.

You'll work closely with perception, systems, hardware and low-level software engineers to develop reliable path planning, trajectory generation and collision avoidance capabilities. The systems you're working with involve multiple axes and moving mechanisms operating within constrained environments, creating genuinely interesting planning challenges.

The role is highly hands-on. When something isn't working on the robot, you'll be expected to investigate it, understand whether the problem sits in the planner, kinematic model, hardware constraints or software integration, and help drive the solution through to implementation.

Responsibilities

• Lead motion planning and software integration across complex multi-axis robotic systems, including robot models, kinematics, trajectory planning and collision avoidance.
• Develop and optimise ROS 2 motion planning and trajectory execution using approaches such as RRT, PRM and trajectory optimisation.
• Work closely with hardware and systems teams to tune performance, constraints and safety on physical robots, including real-world testing and deployment.
• Write clean, testable C++/Python and document system architecture and technical decisions.

Why this role

Genuine ownership of the motion planning stack, working directly with complex physical robotic hardware.

Solve real-world challenges around kinematics, collision avoidance, tight tolerances and planning performance.

Small engineering team with high autonomy, fast iteration and the opportunity to influence decisions across the stack.

What we're looking for

We're looking for a Senior Robotics Motion Planning Engineer with deep practical experience developing and deploying motion planning systems.

You'll ideally have:

• Strong motion planning & manipulation: RRT/RRT*, trajectory optimisation, kinematics, collision avoidance and safety-aware planning.
• Production robotics software: Strong C++/Python with ROS 2, MoveIt/MoveIt 2 and experience building reliable, real-world robotic systems.
• Simulation & systems debugging: Experience validating robotics systems in simulation and debugging across hardware/software boundaries.

Experience with industrial automation, complex mechatronic systems, real-time trajectory execution, hardware-in-the-loop testing or safety-rated motion control would also be valuable.

Experience across perception, sensor integration, LiDAR, depth cameras, point clouds, SLAM or reactive motion planning is a plus, particularly where it has been applied to physical robotic systems.

The environment

This is a hands-on robotics environment where software engineers are expected to understand the hardware their algorithms control.

You’ll work alongside engineers across software, perception, controls, mechanical and electrical disciplines, with the ability to influence technical direction and see your work progress from development and simulation through to physical testing.

If you’re a Senior Robotics Motion Planning Engineer who wants challenging planning problems, real hardware access and meaningful ownership over the motion stack, this is an opportunity worth exploring.