Sr. Robotics Middleware Engineer

Alten USA; North Reading (MA); On-site; USD 135,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Alten USA is seeking a Senior Robotics Middleware Engineer to evaluate and optimize next-generation communication middleware for advanced robotic systems. You will prototype high-throughput, low-latency messaging on NVIDIA Jetson-class platforms, focusing on ROS 2 middleware and DDS internals.

Responsibilities include leading Zenoh evaluation, designing zero-copy messaging, benchmarking latency and throughput, and collaborating across robotics, software, and systems teams to deliver scalable

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, or related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Deep hands-on experience with ROS 2 middleware architecture, RMW implementations, and DDS internals.
• Experience with Zenoh or comparable publish/subscribe frameworks including eCAL, iceoryx, Cyclone DDS, Fast DDS.
• Strong proficiency in modern C++ development and performance profiling on embedded Linux/ARM.
• Knowledge of shared-memory IPC, zero-copy messaging, and high-performance distributed systems.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate, prototype, and optimize next-generation robotics middleware for high-throughput, low-latency messaging on NVIDIA Jetson-class platforms.
• Lead build-versus-adopt evaluation of Zenoh as a robotics transport and its integration as an RMW layer in ROS 2.
• Design, implement, and optimize zero-copy and shared-memory messaging architectures to maximize performance.
• Develop benchmarking frameworks to measure end-to-end latency, throughput, CPU/GPU utilization, and overall system performance.
• Collaborate with robotics, software, and systems teams to identify scalable middleware solutions for production robotics.

Skills

ROS 2 middleware

RMW implementations

DDS internals

Zero-copy messaging

Shared-memory IPC

C++ development

High-performance distributed systems

Embedded Linux profiling

Benchmarking

Education

Bachelor/Master in CS/Robotics/EE

Tools

Zenoh

eCAL

iceoryx

Cyclone DDS

Fast DDS

NVIDIA Jetson

Job description

We’re ALTEN Technology USA, an engineering company helping clients bring groundbreaking ideas to life—from advancing space exploration and life‑saving medical devices to building autonomous electric vehicles. With 3,000+ experts across North America, we partner with leading companies in aerospace, medical devices, robotics, automotive, commercial vehicles, EVs, rail, and more.

As part of the global ALTEN Group—57,000+ engineers in 30 countries—we deliver across the entire product development cycle, from consulting to full project outsourcing.

When you join ALTEN Technology USA, you’ll collaborate on some of the world’s toughest engineering challenges, supported by mentorship, career growth opportunities, and comprehensive benefits. We take pride in fostering a culture where employees feel valued, supported, and inspired to grow.

As a Sr. Robotics Middleware Engineer you will be responsible for;

We are seeking a Senior Robotics Middleware Engineer to evaluate, prototype, and optimize next‑generation communication middleware for advanced robotic systems. This role will focus on assessing emerging robotics transport technologies, including Zenoh, and improving high‑throughput, low‑latency messaging architectures on NVIDIA Jetson‑class embedded platforms. The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise in ROS 2 middleware, DDS internals, shared‑memory communication, and performance optimization for embedded Linux environments.

• Lead a comprehensive build-versus-adopt evaluation of Zenoh as a robotics communication transport, including:

• Standalone deployment models

• Integration as an RMW (ROS Middleware) layer within ROS 2

• Technical recommendations supported by quantitative benchmarking and analysis

• Design, implement, and optimizezero‑copy and shared‑memory messaging architectures to maximize communication performance on NVIDIA Jetson platforms.

• Analyze and improve messaging pipelines through:

• Memory layout optimization

• Serialization efficiency enhancements

• Transport‑layer tuning

• Resource utilization optimization

• Develop and execute benchmarking frameworks to measure:

• End‑to‑end latency

• Throughput

• CPU utilization

• GPU overhead

• Overall system performance versus existing communication architectures

• Collaborate with robotics, software, and systems engineering teams to identify and implement scalable middleware solutions for production robotic applications.

• Document findings, benchmark results, architectural recommendations, and implementation best practices.

Qualifications;

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.

Deep hands‑on experience with:

• ROS 2 middleware architecture

• RMW implementations

• DDS internals and transport mechanisms

Experience with Zenoh or comparable publish/subscribe communication frameworks, including:

• eCAL

• iceoryx

• Cyclone DDS

• Fast DDS

• Strong proficiency in modern C++ development.

Extensive knowledge of:

• Shared‑memory inter‑process communication (IPC)

• Zero‑copy messaging techniques

• High‑performance distributed systems

• Experience profiling and optimizing software performance on embedded Linux and ARM‑based platforms.

• Strong analytical and benchmarking skills with a data‑driven approach to architectural decision‑making.

Preferred Qualifications;

• Experience developing and optimizing applications on NVIDIA Jetson platforms.

• Understanding of GPU/CUDA memory management and GPU‑aware communication strategies.

• Experience with real‑time operating systems and low‑latency robotics applications.

• Background in autonomous systems, robotics platforms, or edge computing environments.

Salary Range: $135K-$170K

The actual salary offered is dependent on various factors including, but not limited to, location, the candidate’s combination of job‑related knowledge, qualifications, skills, education, training, and experience.

Note: This is an ON‑SITE position. The individual can sit either in North Reading, MA or Woburn, MA.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, genetic information, or pregnancy.

Compliance Notice: Alten USA is a federal contractor subject to the requirements of the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and Executive Order 11246. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Drug Screening Requirement: As a federal contractor, Alten USA maintains a drug‑free workplace. All candidates selected for employment will be required to successfully complete a pre‑employment drug screening as a condition of hire.