Senior Robotics Software Engineer, Manipulation

Pickle Robot Company; Massachusetts; Hybrid; USD 156,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, & vision insurance

Unlimited vacation

401K contributions of 5%

Travel supplies

Job summary

Pickle Robot Company is seeking a software engineer with deep expertise in motion planning for autonomous robotic manipulators. The role requires a Master's degree and at least 5 years of relevant experience, with strong Python and C++ skills to drive scalable robotics software.

The position is based in Charlestown, MA, with a hybrid schedule requiring in-office presence at least three days per week. You will mentor teammates and collaborate across hardware and software teams to advance

Qualifications

• Master's degree in CS, robotics, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience with autonomous robots (academic/industrial).
• Strong motion planning for robotic manipulators (dynamics, sampling, optimization).
• Python and C++ proficiency for robotics software.
• Experience with ML for planning is a plus.
• Able to debug complex problems while keeping system integrity.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and optimize motion-planning algorithms for compliant manipulators.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate into hardware and software systems.
• Contribute to scalable software architectures enabling multi-robot deployments.
• Mentor other engineers to raise team capability in planning and manipulation.

Skills

Master's degree in Computer Science/RO

Motion planning for robotic manipulors

Python

C++

Machine learning for planning

System-level mindset

Debugging complex problems

Collaboration and communication

Adaptable and eager to learn

Education

Master's degree in Computer Science or Robotics

5+ years relevant experience in autonomous robots

Job description

What You’ll Accomplish

• Design, implement, and optimize motion-planning algorithms to improve the safety and speed of our autonomous robotic manipulators.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate your contributions into the broader hardware and software system.
• Play a key role in designing and contributing to the architecture of scalable software systems that support the deployment of multiple robots in diverse and dynamic environments.
• Act as a mentor to other software engineers to improve the team’s overall capabilities in planning and manipulation.

Who You Are

• A software engineer with a Master’s degree in Computer Science, Robotics, or a similar field, and at least 5 years of relevant experience working with a mix of academic and industrial autonomous robots.
• Experienced with motion planning for robotic manipulators, with a strong understanding of dynamics, sample-based planning, and optimization.
• Experience with machine learning methods for planning is a definite plus.
• Experienced in working with complex algorithms and capable of optimizing for performance and reliability.
• Proficient in Python and C++Collaborative and communicative, focusing discussions on problem solving ideas and experiments to drive product innovation.
• Detail-oriented, but with a system-level mindset.
• Capable of debugging complex problems while maintaining system integrity.
• Willing to work in the office from our Charlestown, MA location at least three days per week.
• Adaptable and eager to learn, staying up to date with the latest advancements in robotics and motion planning.

Salary: $156,000 - $175,000 a year

Pay at Pickle

At Pickle Robot Company, we believe transparency builds trust. The salary range listed here is provided in accordance with Massachusetts law and reflects what we reasonably and in good faith expect to offer for this role. We often consider candidates at different levels of seniority, and final compensation will reflect the level at which a candidate is hired, along with factors like experience and location.

About Pickle Robot

Want to get in on the ground floor of a fast-growing, VC-backed robotics company? Join Pickle Robot! We build systems that companies and their teams love.

Pickle robots unload trucks. Every day, millions of trucks and containers are loaded and unloaded, often requiring manual labor—tough, dirty, dangerous, and hard to staff. Pickle automates this process using AI, machine learning, and robotics to deliver reliable products. Our Unload Systems work with teams on loading docks to make the job safer, faster, and more efficient.

Pickle provides best-in-class benefits including health, dental, & vision insurance; unlimited vacation, along with all federal and state holidays; 401K contributions of 5% your salary, travel supplies, and other items to make your working life more fun, comfortable, and productive.