Staff Robot Architect - Platform Software Specialist

Hardware FYI; Fremont, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 217,000 - 281,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) Plan

Equity

Insurance Coverage

Well-Being Support

Time Off

Relocation Assistance

Annual Discretionary Bonus

Job summary

Agility Robotics is seeking a Staff Robot Architect - Platform Software Specialist to drive the controls, networking, and firmware architecture of our humanoid robotic platforms. You will report to the Principle Hardware Architect and collaborate across software, systems, perception, safety, and control teams to evolve the hardware and software architecture.

This senior role leads platform software architecture, ensuring integration of sensing, compute, control, actuation, and safety into

Qualifications

• 8+ years in robotics platform software development as a senior/lead engineer.
• 5+ years in controls system development as a senior lead engineer.
• 3+ years in network/compute system development as a senior lead engineer.
• 3+ years experience with firmware development from bare-metal to network integration.
• Deep understanding of robotic system design including cost, power, heat, sensing, compute and safety.
• Proven experience delivering complex electromechanical robotic systems to field or commercial deployment.
• Strong foundation in software engineering, robot kinematics/dynamics/controls, and system modeling.
• Familiarity with functional safety concepts, FuSa certifications, FMEA/FMECA, hazard analysis.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills across multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end robot network and controls system architecture.
• Provide technical direction to other architects and teams.
• Lead architecture reviews balancing performance, safety, cost, and reliability.
• Partner with software controls and simulation teams for modeling and analysis.
• Collaborate with software, systems, test and integration to translate architecture into requirements.
• Influence long-term roadmap by translating user needs and R&D findings.

Skills

Robotics platform SW

Controls engineering

Network/Compute systems

Firmware development

Robotic system design

Software foundations

Functional safety

Cross-team collaboration

Education

PhD or Master’s in Robotics/Mechatronics/CS

Tools

Github

MuJoCo

Gazebo

Job description

Agility’s commercially deployed humanoids operate alongside teams in warehouses, manufacturing facilities, and distribution centers—tackling physically demanding and repetitive tasks while enabling workers to focus on higher-value work. With industry-leading safety standards and years of proven deployment data, we're pioneering a new era of automation that enhances human potential.

About the Role

Agility Robotics is seeking a Staff Robot Architect - Platform Software Specialist to drive the controls, networking, and firmware architecture of our humanoid robotics platforms, reporting directly to the Principle Hardware Architect to develop new products and major improvements to existing platforms. In this technical leadership role, you will serve as the lead for Robot Platform Software architecture, partnering closely with engineers across systems, mechanical, electrical, software, perception, safety, and control teams as needed to define and evolve the hardware and software architecture of our robotic systems.

You will be responsible for ensuring the integration of core subsystems — ranging from sensing and compute to control, actuation, and safety—into cohesive, performant, reliable, and scalable systems for our humanoid robots and fleets. This role is ideal for a senior Platform SW or Controls engineer with a proven track record in robotic system design, control, and architecture, experience in actuated mobile robotics, ideally including humanoid or legged robotics, and strong data driven decision making.

About the Work

• Own the end-to-end robot Network and Controls system architecture, ensuring scalable, and reliable integration of perception, compute, control, and safety systems.

• Provide technical direction to other architects as well as across other teams, guiding the design of high-performance robotic subsystems.

• Lead trade studies and architecture reviews balancing performance, functional safety, complexity, manufacturability, cost, and reliability.

• Partner with cross functional teams including software controls and simulation teams to ensure architectural decisions are grounded in system-level modeling, simulation, and performance analysis.

• Collaborate closely with software, systems engineering, test, and integration teams to ensure architecture translates into testable, traceable requirements.

• Influence long-term roadmap and product direction by translating user needs, field performance, and R&D findings into architectural evolution.

About You

• 8+ years of experience in robotics platform software development as a senior or lead engineer

• 5+ years experience with controls system development as a senior lead engineer

• 3+ years network/compute system development as a senior lead engineer

• 3+ years experience with Firmware Development between bare-metal to network integration.

• Deep understanding of robotic system design including tradeoffs in cost, power, heat, sensing, compute, and safety.

• Proven experience in designing and delivering complex electromechanical robotic systems into field or commercial deployment from the ideation phase through production.

• Strong foundation in Software Engineering, robot kinematics, dynamics, controls, and system modeling.

• Familiarity with functional safety concepts, Product FuSa Certifications, FMEA/FMECA, and hazard analysis in robotic systems.

• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with experience influencing decisions across multidisciplinary teams.

Bonus Points

• Prior experience architecting full-stack robotics systems in a humanoid, legged mobility, mobile manipulation, or high-DOF automation platform.

• Hands-on experience with perception pipelines, real-time control systems, and safety-rated architectures.

• Experience with Github and similar collaborative development tools.

• Experience with simulation tools such as MuJoCo, Gazebo, or equivalent, and integrating simulation into system design and validation workflows.

• Familiarity with AI and reinforcement learning techniques applied to robotics learning and control.

• PhD or Master’s degree in Robotics, Mechatronics, Computer Science, or a related field.

• Experience mentoring and growing engineers, and fostering healthy team culture.

Why Agility Robotics?

At Agility Robotics, we are building the future of human-centric automation through groundbreaking humanoid robots. As a foundational technical leader, you’ll help shape a product and platform that redefines the role of robots in the workforce—developed by a world-class team committed to innovation, engineering excellence, and real-world impact.

Location

• This is a hybrid position based out of our Fremont, CA office, with occasional travel to our other offices in Salem, OR, and Pittsburgh, PA required to support development activities

The final salary offered to a successful candidate will be dependent on several factors that may include but are not limited to: job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Agility Robotics is a multi-state employer and this salary range may not reflect positions who work in other locations. These ranges may be modified in the future.

Anticipated Base Salary Range

$217,000

—

$281,000 USD

In addition to base pay, our competitive total rewards package consists of the following for full-time employees:

• 401(k) Plan:Includes a 6% company match.
• Equity:Company stock options.
• Insurance Coverage:100% company-paid medical, dental, vision, and short/long-term disability insurance for employees.
• Benefit Start Date:Eligible for benefits on your first day of employment.
• Well-Being Support:Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Time Off:
  • Exempt Employees:Flexible, unlimited PTO and 12 company holidays, including a winter shutdown.
  • Non-Exempt Employees:10 vacation days, paid sick leave, and 12 company holidays, including a winter shutdown, annually.
• On-Site Perks:Catered lunches four times a week and a variety of healthy snacks and refreshments at our Salem and Pittsburgh locations.
• Parental Leave:Generous paid parental leave programs.
• Work Environment:A culture that supports flexible work arrangements.
• Growth Opportunities:Professional development and tuition reimbursement programs.
• Relocation Assistance:Provided for eligible roles.
• Annual Discretionary Bonus: Provided for eligible roles.

All of our roles are U.S.-based. Applicants must have current authorization to work in the United States.

Agility Robotics is committed to a work environment in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. Each individual has the right to work in a professional atmosphere that promotes equal employment opportunities and prohibits unlawful discriminatory practices, including harassment. Therefore, it is the policy of Agility Robotics to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, citizenship, national origin, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. Agility Robotics prohibits any such discrimination or harassment.