Software Simulation Engineer, Sensor Rendering

Path Robotics, Inc.; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free lunch every day

Flexible PTO

Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance

6 weeks paid parental leave + 6-8 more

401K through Empower

Paid Referral Bonus

Job summary

Path Robotics, Inc. in Columbus, Ohio is seeking a Software Simulation Engineer to build and scale sensor rendering infrastructure for sim-to-real model training. You’ll own the rendering and simulation of 2D and 3D sensors used by our perception models, producing photorealistic, physically accurate synthetic data.

The role requires strong Python skills and hands-on experience with NVIDIA Isaac Sim, Unreal Engine, Blender or Gazebo, plus a solid grasp of PBR and 3D assets (URDF, SDF, USD).

Qualifications

• Degree in CS/Robotics/EE with 3+ years in simulation, rendering, or perception.
• Strong Python skills for building production-grade tooling.
• Hands-on experience with NVIDIA Isaac Sim, Unreal Engine, Blender or Gazebo.
• Knowledge of PBR and 3D assets (URDF, SDF, USD).
• Experience creating annotated synthetic datasets and applying domain randomization.
• Experience with generative image AI is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Render and validate photorealistic sensor data for perception training.
• Build synthetic data generation pipelines and ground-truth annotations.
• Collaborate with perception teams to meet dataset requirements.
• Mentor engineers on rendering best practices.
• Define sensor rendering strategy across platforms.

Skills

Python

Sensor rendering

Gazebo

Unreal Engine

Blender

URDF/SDF/USD

Domain randomization

Generative AI

Perception models

Education

CS/Robotics/EE degree

Tools

NVIDIA Isaac Sim

Unreal Engine

Blender

Gazebo

Job description

Software Simulation Engineer, Sensor Rendering

Columbus, Ohio

Build the Path Forward

At Path Robotics, we’re attacking a trillion dollar opportunity - doing things that have never been done before to support an industry hurting from a lack of skilled labor. Big, hard problems are what Path tackles every day, and our people are our greatest asset to get that job done. Our intelligent, hardworking team of people do the impossible every single day, yet remain incredibly kind, humble, and always ready to support one another.

We're looking for a Software Simulation Engineer to help us stand up and scale our sensor simulation infrastructure for sim-to-real model training. You will own the rendering and simulation of our 2D and 3D sensors, which our perception models rely on. You'll produce photorealistic, physically accurate synthetic data, enabling us to train and validate perception systems faster and at a greater scale than real-world data alone allows.

What You'll Do

Experienced Level:

• Implement and validate physics-based sensor simulation models (structured light, depth, RGB, stereo, etc.) within platforms such as NVIDIA Isaac Sim, Blender or Unreal Engine, producing outputs that closely match real sensor behavior.
• Build photorealistic scene rendering pipelines that account for sensor placement on the robot end-effector. Emulate robot trajectories both with and without physical models. Utilize accurate material properties, such as metal reflectance, weld spatter, and torch glow, to ensure synthetic data is meaningful for perception model training.
• Develop synthetic data generation pipelines producing annotated ground-truth (point clouds, depth maps, segmentation masks) at scale.
• Implement domain randomization strategies (lighting, material variation, sensor noise, viewpoint perturbation) to improve sim-to-real transfer for downstream perception models.
• Collaborate with perception teams to ensure rendered outputs meet dataset requirements and write high-quality Python code.
• Lead the design and validation of high-fidelity, photorealistic sensor render pipelines grounded in real sensor characterization data and validated against physical measurements.
• Architect the sensor rendering strategy for the Perception team, defining which sensor modalities, material models, and environmental conditions must be simulated to support perception across the full weld cell workflow.
• Own the sim-to-real validation framework: define quantitative benchmarks and go/no-go criteria for when synthetic sensor data is ready to feed production model training.
• Drive 3D asset and environment pipeline strategy, including CAD-to-simulation workflows, SDF/URDF asset management, material library management, and procedural scene generation for weld cell environments across Gazebo, Isaac Sim, and Unreal Engine.
• Define strategy for when and how to use each simulation platform (Gazebo for ROS-integrated functional testing, Isaac Sim or Unreal Engine for photorealistic synthetic data generation) and build workflows that span them coherently.
• Mentor engineers on rendering best practices, physically based material modeling, Gazebo plugin development, and synthetic data methodology.

Who You Are

• Education & Experience: Degree in CS/Robotics/EE plus 3+ years (Experienced) or 5+ years (Senior) in simulation, rendering, or perception.
• Software Proficiency: Strong Python skills for building production-grade simulation tooling and plugins.
• Simulation Platforms: Hands-on experience with NVIDIA Isaac Sim, Unreal Engine, Blender or Gazebo (Classic/Ignition).
• Rendering & Assets: Solid understanding of Physically Based Rendering (PBR) and experience with 3D assets (URDF, SDF, USD).
• 3D data and assets: Experience with mesh representations, material authoring, and CAD-to-render workflows using formats such as URDF, SDF, or USD.
• Synthetic data pipelines: Experience building annotated synthetic dataset generation systems and domain randomization strategies aimed at real-world model training.
• Generative AI: Experience with generative image AI (e.g., diffusion models) and its application in synthetic data generation.

Nice to Have

• Direct experience with NVIDIA Omniverse / Isaac Sim and USD-based scene composition.
• Familiarity with simulating industrial phenomena like arc flash, weld spatter, and thermal emission.
• Experience with generative AI (diffusion models) and procedural geometry for scalable 3D mesh generation.
• Prior work in manufacturing or automotive simulation and cloud-based render farm infrastructure.
• Experience with GPU-accelerated rendering or cloud-based render farm infrastructure.

Why You'll Love It Here

• Free lunch every day
• Flexible PTO
• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
• 6 weeks 100% paid parental leave plus an additional 6-8 weeks maternity leave for the birthing parent (12-14 weeks total)
• 401K through Empower
• Paid Referral Bonus

Who We Are

At Path Robotics we love coming to work to solve interesting and tough challenges but also because our ideas are welcomed and valued. We encourage unique thinking and are dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process or any part of the hiring process, please contact [e-mail]. We are committed to providing equal access and will work with qualified individuals to ensure a fair and accessible hiring experience. We will respond to your request within 48 hours.