Staff Fleet Operations Robot Captain, Atlas

Boston Dynamics, Inc.; Waltham (MA); On-site; USD 116,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Vision benefits

401(k)

Paid time off

Annual bonus structure

Job summary

Boston Dynamics, Inc. is seeking a Fleet Operations Robot Captain to lead the mission for robot health and utilization. This role serves as the technical bridge among teams to ensure the humanoid fleet remains mission-ready.

The ideal candidate has a Bachelor's in Robotics or a related field and 5 years of experience in systems engineering. Responsibilities include monitoring fleet status, troubleshooting issues, and managing operations in a fast-paced R&D environment.

The compensation ranges from $116,000 to $160,000 annually, with an extensive benefits package including medical, dental, and 401(k).

Qualifications

• 5 years of experience in robotics operations or systems engineering.
• Proven track record of troubleshooting complex electromechanical systems.
• Experience in a high-intensity R&D environment.

Responsibilities

• Act as the first responder for robot hardware and software issues.
• Maintain real-time health and configuration of all robots in the fleet.
• Own and prioritize the daily experiment and test queue.
• Coordinate software updates and system changes for robots.

Skills

Technical Troubleshooting

Operational Ownership

Communication

Execution Discipline

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Robotics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field

Tools

JIRA

Tableau

Job description

The Fleet Operations Robot Captain is the mission lead for robot health, uptime, and utilization. This role acts as the primary technical bridge between Research Scientists, Software Developers, Operations and Hardware SMEs to ensure the humanoid fleet remains "mission-ready." The Captain is responsible for leveraging real-time monitoring tools to oversee fleet status, performing high-level technical triage to localize system failures, and managing the experimental pipeline to maximize hardware throughput. This role requires a unique blend of systems engineering knowledge, diagnostic intuition, problem solving ability, and the organizational discipline to manage complex, competing priorities in a fast-paced R&D environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Technical Triage & Issue Localization:
  • Act as the first responder for robot hardware and software issues, performing system-level triage to localize failures and determine appropriate escalation paths.
  • Analyze logs, telemetry, and system behavior to narrow issues to specific subsystems or components.
  • Create high-quality issue reports and tickets that enable subject-matter experts to root cause problems efficiently.
  • Identify and elevate fleet-level blockers or safety risks that impact robot availability or operational continuity.
• Fleet Monitoring & Status Management:
  • Maintain real-time health, configuration, and connectivity of all robots in the fleet.
  • Distinguish between hardware availability and software-induced downtime to ensure accurate reporting and planning.
  • Ensure fleet status, availability, and constraints are clearly communicated to stakeholders to avoid conflicts or idle time.
• Experiment & Queue Management:
  • Own and prioritize the daily experiment and test queue to maximize robot utilization during core operating hours.
  • Balance risk by sequencing experiments appropriately, enabling progress while minimizing extended downtime.
  • Provide clear visibility into what is running now, what is next, and expected completion timelines for all active users.
• Repair & Operational Coordination:
  • Serve as the primary interface to repair and maintenance teams when hardware intervention is required.
  • Track repair progress and validate robot readiness before returning systems to active use.
  • Coordinate software updates and system configuration changes to ensure robots operate on approved, stable builds.
  • Execute standardized startup, shutdown, and handoff procedures to ensure continuity across shifts.

Core Competencies

• Technical Troubleshooting: Rapidly localizes faults across complex electromechanical and software boundaries.
• Operational Ownership: Strong sense of accountability for fleet uptime, readiness, and reliability. Makes sound decisions under pressure while balancing risk, safety, and productivity.
• Communication: Translates complex technical issues into clear, actionable information for diverse audiences.
• Execution Discipline: Maintains operational rigor in a fast-moving, high-stakes R&D environment.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong understanding of robotics systems, including software stacks, controls, networking, and hardware interfaces.
• Proficiency in reading and interpreting Real-Time (RT) code, Linux system logs, and networking telemetry to troubleshoot controls.
• Experience with issue tracking, work management systems such as JIRA, and data-driven monitoring tools/dashboards such as Tableau.
• Ability to stay calm and organized while managing multiple high-priority streams of work.
• Strong understanding of safety best practices in high-energy or mobile robotics environments.

Typical Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Robotics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field preferred. 5 years of experience in robotics operations, systems engineering, or a highly technical site reliability role. Proven track record of troubleshooting complex electromechanical systems. Experience in a high‑intensity R&D environment where hardware availability is a critical path to project success.

Compensation

The base pay range for this position is between $116,000.00 and $160,000.00 annually. Base pay will depend on multiple individualized factors, including, but not limited to, internal equity, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. This range represents a good‑faith estimate of compensation at the time of posting.

Benefits

Boston Dynamics offers a generous benefits package including medical, dental, vision, 401(k), paid time off, and an annual bonus structure. Additional details regarding these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer for employment.

EEO Statement

We are interested in every qualified candidate who is eligible to work in the United States. However, we are not able to sponsor visas for this position.