Senior Robotics Software Engineer

CLERA; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 185,000 - 235,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Field testing days

Job summary

Clera Labs, Inc. is seeking a robotics software engineer to own production C++ features across sensor data processing, tracking, and autonomy. You will debug threading, latency, and timing issues on physical hardware and participate in field tests.

The role requires hands-on experience with ROS/ROS2, sensor fusion, or Kalman filtering, and a track record of end-to-end feature ownership on robotics systems. On-site in San Francisco, CA with a focus on defense-grade software and safety-critical

Qualifications

• Hands-on robotics software engineering experience.
• Production C++ on a physical robotic system in field use.
• Ownership of features involving sensor data, tracking, or autonomy.
• Fluency with real-time systems, threading, latency, timing analysis.

Responsibilities

• Own production C++ features across sensor data processing, tracking, control, or autonomy.
• Profile and resolve threading, process structure, latency, and timing issues.
• Develop tests, build or maintain CI/CD and hardware-in-the-loop testing.
• Debug issues on physical systems using recorded or replayed sensor data.
• Participate in regular field testing.

Skills

Robotics software

Production C++

End-to-end ownership

RTOS/Real-time

Sensor fusion/Kalman

ROS/ROS2

Job description

About the Role

Join a defense technology team building autonomous systems that combine robotics, perception, and directed energy. You will develop and validate software on physical hardware, supporting reliable sensing, tracking, control, and autonomy in field environments.

What You'll Do

• Own production C++ features across sensor data processing, tracking, control, or autonomy.

• Profile and resolve threading, process structure, latency, and timing issues in the software you own.

• Develop tests alongside features and build or maintain CI/CD and hardware-in-the-loop testing.

• Debug issues that occur on physical systems, including failures identified through recorded or replayed sensor data.

• Take part in regular field testing.

What We're Looking For

• At least 4 years of hands-on robotics software engineering experience.

• Production C++ experience on a physical robotic system, with software that reached repeated use in the field or by operators, customers, or fleets.

• End-to-end ownership of features involving sensor data, tracking, control, or autonomy.

• Fluency with real-time systems, including threading, latency, and timing analysis.

• Experience with sensor timestamps, time synchronization, coordinate-frame transforms, sensor fusion, Kalman filtering, or target tracking is valuable.

• Familiarity with ROS or ROS2, cameras, IMUs, encoders, gimbal or turret systems, and robotics HIL testing is a plus.

• Defense, aerospace, or safety-critical software experience and an active security clearance are valued. US Person status is required due to export controls.

Compensation & Benefits

Base salary is $185,000 to $235,000 annually, plus equity. Visa sponsorship is not available.

Location

On-site five days per week in San Francisco, California, United States. The role includes field test days.