Senior Robotics Motion Planning Engineer

Kelly Services; Woburn (MA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

Stock Options

Vacation Time

Job summary

Kelly Services seeks a Senior Robotics Engineer in the Boston area to own motion planning for a production robotic platform. You will work with ROS 2, MoveIt 2, and multi-axis systems, guiding architecture and trajectory execution from development to real-world deployment.

The role emphasizes hands-on work with physical robots, real-time challenges, and close collaboration with a small, highly technical team driving innovative automation in automotive service applications.

Qualifications

• 2+ years hands-on MoveIt / MoveIt 2 in production or near-production.
• Deep expertise in motion planning algorithms including RRT, RRT*, PRM, CHOMP, STOMP, or TrajOpt.
• Strong C++ and/or Python experience within the ROS 2 ecosystem.
• Strong understanding of forward and inverse kinematics.
• Experience with kinematic solvers such as KDL, TRAC-IK, or equivalent.
• Experience with collision avoidance and safety-aware motion planning.
• Experience configuring URDF/SRDF models and planning scenes.
• Experience working with robotic hardware and actuator constraints.
• Strong understanding of velocity, acceleration, and joint limits.
• Experience developing production-grade robotics software.
• Experience with robotic simulation environments.

Responsibilities

• Own motion planning for the robotic platform and influence architecture and direction.
• Work with hardware integration and testing teams to deploy to production.
• Develop production-grade robotics software and real-time trajectory execution.
• Validate systems through simulations and field deployment.

Skills

Motion planning

C++

Python

Kinematics

Collision avoidance

Real-time trajectory execution

Robotics hardware integration

MoveIt / MoveIt 2

ROS 2 ecosystem

Education

BS/MS/PhD in Robotics or related field

Tools

MoveIt / MoveIt 2

ROS 2

KDL / TRAC-IK

URDF/SRDF models

Job description

$140000 - $180000

A fast-growing robotics company in the Boston area is reinventing automotive service through cutting-edge robotics and automation. Their technology combines ROS 2, MoveIt 2, multi-axis robotic systems, motion planning, collision avoidance, and advanced trajectory control to automate tire changing and wheel balancing.

This is a unique opportunity for a Senior Robotics Engineer to become the technical owner of motion planning for a robotic platform unlike anything you’ve worked on before. You’ll be working directly with physical robots—not just simulations—solving challenging problems around multi-axis motion, kinematics, collision avoidance, and real-time trajectory execution. The team is small, highly technical, and hands‑on, giving you the opportunity to have a major influence on architecture and technical direction while taking your robotics expertise from development all the way into real‑world production and field deployment.

Required Skills & Experience

• 2+ years of hands‑on experience with MoveIt or MoveIt 2 in production or near-production systems
• Deep expertise in motion planning algorithms including RRT, RRT*, PRM, CHOMP, STOMP, or TrajOpt
• Strong C++ and/or Python experience within the ROS 2 ecosystem
• Strong understanding of forward and inverse kinematics
• Experience with kinematic solvers such as KDL, TRAC-IK, or equivalent
• Experience with collision avoidance and safety‑aware motion planning
• Experience configuring URDF/SRDF models and planning scenes
• Experience working with robotic hardware and actuator constraints
• Strong understanding of velocity, acceleration, and joint limits
• Experience developing production‑grade robotics software
• Experience with robotic simulation environments

Desired Skills & Experience

• BS/MS/PhD in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field
• Experience with industrial automation, automotive equipment, or complex mechatronic systems
• Experience with multi‑manipulator or non‑traditional robotic platforms
• Experience with real‑time trajectory execution or hardware‑in‑the‑loop testing
• Experience with safety‑rated motion control
• Experience with motor control, drive systems, HAL, or low‑level firmware
• Experience with LiDAR, depth cameras, IMUs, PCL, Open3D, SLAM, or point cloud processing
• Experience with perception‑driven or reactive motion planning

What You Will Be Doing

Tech Breakdown

• 40% C++ / Python / ROS 2 / MoveIt 2
• 25% Motion Planning / Kinematics / Trajectory Optimization
• 20% Robotics Hardware Integration & Testing
• 15% Simulation / Debugging / System Development

Daily Responsibilities

• 50% Hands On
• 0% Management Duties
• 50% Team Collaboration

The Offer

• Competitive Base Salary
• Bonus eligible

You will receive the following benefits:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Vacation Time
• Stock Options

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the US on a full-time basis now and in the future.

Motion Recruitment Partners (MRP) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants must be currently authorized to work on a full-time basis in the country for which they are applying, and no sponsorship is currently available. Employment is subject to the successful completion of a pre‑employment screening. Accommodation will be provided in all parts of the hiring process as required under MRP’s Employment Accommodation policy. Applicants need to make their needs known in advance.