Software Engineer/ Senior Software Engineer, Robotics - NREC

Carnegie Mellon University; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical & dental

Retirement plan

Tuition benefits

Paid time off

Life Insurance

Transit pass

Childcare support

Fitness center

Job summary

Carnegie Mellon University’s National Robotics Engineering Center in Pittsburgh seeks engineers to bridge research and industry by delivering robust, production‑ready robotic software. You will design and maintain real‑time code, build high‑fidelity simulations, and validate systems with hardware teams across logistics and manufacturing domains.

The role requires a B.S. in a related field, 1–5 years of relevant experience, strong C++ and Python skills, Linux expertise, and excellent

Qualifications

• B.S. in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics or equivalent experience.
• 1–5 years of professional or research software development in robotics or related fields.
• Proficient in C++ with solid Python basics.
• Strong technical communication and cross‑functional team collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Hands‑on real‑time software development to advance the robotics software stack.
• Drive performance maturation via profiling, benchmarking, and optimization.
• Create simulations and testbeds for software validation in robotic systems.
• Collaborate with hardware engineers and others to translate requirements into software.
• Participate in integration and testing to ensure system interoperability.
• Contribute to code reviews, documentation, and CI/CD practices.

Skills

C++

Python

Linux

Robotics

Communication

Education

B.S. in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics

Tools

ROS2/MoveIt

Job description

At the National Robotics Engineering Center (NREC), our engineers and technicians drive breakthroughs that define our success. Our technical staff collaborates closely with leadership and multidisciplinary teams to design, build, and deploy sophisticated robotic solutions that address complex challenges in industrial, commercial and government sectors. This role focuses on bridging research and industry by transforming advanced robotic concepts into robust, production‑ready technologies, ensuring exceptional and groundbreaking results across logistics, manufacturing and automated science applications.

Responsibilities

• Hands‑on real‑time software development: Design, write, and maintain clean, high‑performance, and robust code to advance and mature our software stack in robotic applications.
• Systematic performance maturation: Drive the iterative software lifecycle by conducting systematic analysis, profiling, and benchmarking to identify bottlenecks and optimize system performance.
• Simulation & testbed generation: Leverage advanced simulation tools to generate high‑fidelity synthetic data and architect complex testbed scenarios for software validation.
• Multidisciplinary collaboration: Work closely with hardware engineers, systems engineers, and domain experts to translate complex physical requirements into scalable software solutions.
• System integration & testing: Actively participate in hands‑on integration work, ensuring seamless interoperability between software components and hardware systems.
• Iterative design & code quality: Participate in rigorous code reviews, documentation, and continuous integration (CI/CD) practices to maintain high engineering standards across the existing codebase.

Qualifications

• B.S. in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or equivalent experience.
• 1–5 years of professional or research experience in software development, systems integration, or robotics.
• Demonstrated understanding and basic use of software engineering concepts, practices, and procedures.
• Proficient C++ skills.
• Solid technical communication skills and success working as part of a cross‑functional team.
• Experience with Python for quick prototyping of applications.
• Linux development experience.
• Effective organizational, planning, and analytical skills.
• Ability to effectively interact with a multifaceted population of internal and external partners.
• Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously.

Desirable Qualifications

• Experience with ROS2/Move‑it middleware and development frameworks.
• Experience with robot manipulator kinematic analysis and trajectory optimization to maximize operational throughput and efficiency.
• Advanced use of simulation environments such as Gazebo, Isaac Sim, or MuJoCo for robotic application development and testing.
• Experience with robust fleet communication protocols, multi‑robot behavior, motion planning and coordination to design efficient and robust dispatching systems.
• Real‑world deployment, systems engineering.
• Embedded systems or real‑time application development.
• Proficiency leveraging AI tools to develop robust software solutions.

Additional Requirements

• Successful pre‑employment background check.
• The position will involve projects that include military/defense applications and/or are funded by military/defense sponsors.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, prescription, dental, and vision insurance.
• Generous retirement savings program with employer contributions.
• Tuition benefits.
• Paid time off and observed holidays.
• Life and accidental death and disability insurance.
• Free Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus pass.
• Family concierge team to support childcare needs.
• Fitness center access.

Location & Employment

Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Position Type: Staff – Regular Full Time
Pay Basis: Salary

EEO Statement

Carnegie Mellon University is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran. Statement of Assurance.