Senior Robotics Engineer, Robot Learning

Senra Systems; Cypress (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity participation

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401(k)

FSA/DSA for health expenses

20 vacation days

Gym membership reimbursement

DoorDash credits

Free parking

Onsite kitchen

Job summary

Senra Systems, Inc. is seeking a Senior Robotics Engineer to own the technical implementation of robot learning in our Automation Program on our Cypress, CA production line.

This hands-on senior role focuses on learning-based manipulation, perception, and dexterous wire handling in high-mix assembly. You will work with real hardware, collaborating with the Head of AI & Robotics, and help drive data pipelines, model evaluation, and production deployment.

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience training and deploying learning-based manipulation on real robots.
• Experience building data pipelines: teleoperation demonstrations and evaluation on hardware.
• A track record shipping learned robotic systems, with leadership experience.
• Experience with contact-rich or deformable-object manipulation.
• Fast hardware experimentation—days rather than months.
• Strong Python and deep learning framework (PyTorch/JAX); comfortable with C++ and ROS 2.

Responsibilities

• Own learned manipulation on production line, from research to a production skill.
• Feed learned skills, perception and grasping models into cells on the line.
• Develop data pipelines with demonstrations, labeling and training.
• Conduct dexterous wire-manipulation research on challenging tasks.
• Evaluate and advise on model strategy (build vs buy).
• Partner on pilots with robotic hands and models using our data.
• Set quarterly research plans with clear deliverables and go/no-go criteria.
• Help hire and mentor growing team members.

Skills

Robot learning

Imitation learning

Reinforcement learning

Transformer models

Python

PyTorch

C++

ROS 2

Data pipelines

Education

Master’s or PhD in robotics or related

Tools

MuJoCo

Isaac Sim

ROS 2

Job description

At Senra Systems, we're building a new model for complex manufacturing, starting with electrical wire harnesses. We're a real manufacturer, not a lab: we build harnesses on our own production lines for some of the largest aerospace and defense companies in the country. Long term, automating this work is how we help bring complex manufacturing back to the U.S.

We're looking for a Senior Robotics Engineer to own the technical implementation of robot learning in our Automation Program. High-mix assembly is one of the hardest problems in manufacturing and has long resisted automation: deformable wire, small parts, and work that changes from job to job. Fixtured, programmed cells handle what they can. You'll take on the rest with learning-based methods, starting with tasks where parts vary from job to job, such as machine tending, and building toward dexterous wire manipulation. We buy robot arms, hands, and base models and build what is specific to harnesses: the data, the training, and the skills. Real hardware, on a real line, in real production.

This is a hands-on senior role on a small team with aggressive goals. You'll report to one of Senra's cofounders, our Head of AI & Robotics, who owns the technical vision for the program. You'll partner with the other senior engineers on the team to execute it, and help shape where it goes as we build. It's a lot of work, with a lot of ownership, and what you build goes onto the line fast.

You'll work closely with our Senior Robotics Engineer, Production to develop and deploy robotic capabilities on the factory floor. Your focus will be on robot learning, perception, and manipulation, using real production data to improve performance and address failure modes. The goal is to build systems that work reliably in production, not just demonstrate capabilities in the lab.

What you'll own:

• Learned manipulation on our production line, from research to a skill running on real work, starting with machine tending: picking, loading, and feeding wire and parts that vary from job to job

• Feeding what you learn back to production: learned skills, perception and grasping models, and failure analysis, handed to our Senior Robotics Engineer, Production to fold into cells on the line

• The data pipeline for learned skills: demonstrations from teleoperation and station cameras, production data from our cells, labeling, and training and evaluation pipelines

• Dexterous and wire-manipulation research on the tasks that have resisted automation: small parts, deformable wire, and contact-rich assembly

• Model strategy: evaluating and post-training open-weight and partner robot foundation models on our data, and recommending where we build and where we buy

• Partner pilots on robotic hands and models, run on our terms, with our data and results staying with Senra

• A quarterly research plan, set with our Head of AI & Robotics, with clear deliverables and go or no-go criteria for each task

• Helping hire and mentor the engineers who join as the team grows

What you'll bring to the team:

Required:

• Hands‑on experience training and deploying learning‑based manipulation on real robots (e.g., imitation learning, diffusion or transformer policies, reinforcement learning, robot foundation models), not only in simulation

• Experience building the data side: teleoperation or demonstration collection, data pipelines, and evaluation on hardware

• A track record at a robotics research lab, a frontier robotics company, or a team shipping learned robotic systems, including work you led

• Experience with contact‑rich or deformable‑object manipulation (e.g., cables, insertion, cloth)

• A track record of moving quickly on real hardware: experiments that answer a question in days, not months

• Strong Python and a deep learning framework such as PyTorch or JAX; comfortable in C++ and with ROS 2 or similar on real robots

• Self‑starter who takes ownership of a technical area end to end, partners well with other senior engineers, and communicates clearly with technicians, engineers, and leadership

• Master's or PhD in robotics, computer science, or mechanical, electrical, or computer engineering, or equivalent research or industry experience

• Must be a U.S. Person as defined under ITAR (see ITAR requirements below)

Preferred:

• Learned skills shipped into a production or commercial setting, working alongside the engineers who run them

• Dexterous hands, tactile sensing, or force‑controlled manipulation

• Sim‑to‑real transfer and simulation (e.g., MuJoCo, Isaac Sim)

• Publications or open‑source work in robot learning

• Experience in wire harness, cable assembly, or other high‑mix assembly

• Startup or high‑growth company experience

• Experience mentoring engineers or helping build a research team

Success in This Role Looks Like (6-12 Months):

• A learned machine‑tending skill is running on one of our wire machines alongside programmed tending, with a measured success rate on real jobs

• At least one learned capability (a skill, a model, or a fix from failure analysis) has been folded into a production cell, with a measured improvement

• Our data pipeline is capturing demonstrations from teleoperation and station cameras, with a technician consent policy in place, and feeding training

• At least one dexterous or wire‑manipulation task has been attempted on real production harnesses, with partner hardware where it helps, and a measured result

• You've set a quarterly research plan with clear deliverables and go or no‑go criteria, and made a build‑or‑buy recommendation on models and hands

• You’ve helped shape the technical roadmap with our Head of AI & Robotics and helped hire the next engineers on the team

Compensation:

• Compensation will be based on experience, qualifications, and other job‑related factors.

• Salary Range: $200,000-$260,000

• This is an onsite role based at our Cypress, CA facility, with regular time at our Redondo Beach, CA facility

Benefits:

• Unmatched opportunities to drive impact on a friendly and mission‑driven team

• Own a piece of the pie with equity participation!

• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life and long‑term disability coverage

• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Dependent Spending Account (DSA) for health‑related expenses

• 20 vacation days per year and 12 company holidays for rest and relaxation

• a 401(k) planto set yourself up for retirement

• Choose a record you love, and we'll add it to our growing vinyl collection!

• $50/month DoorDash credit - lunch is on us!

• Up to $100/month reimbursement for gym memberships

• Fully stocked kitchen with snacks and beverages

• Regular team‑building events, lunches, and the occasional breakfast burrito!

• Bright, open office with communal spaces for collaboration and free parking

• Conveniently located near the metro, major freeways and local dining spots

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Contact us at [e-mail] or visit our website https://senrasystems.us.

ITAR REQUIREMENTS:

• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

Pay range

$200,000-$260,000 USD