Staff Software Engineer - Humanoid Controls

Apptronik; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 300,000 - 350,000; Full time

Job summary

Apptronik is seeking a Staff Software Engineer – Humanoid Controls to join our Motion Control & Planning team in Sunnyvale, CA. You will raise the quality of our robotics stack, enabling safe, scalable control for the Apollo humanoid across wheeled-base and biped platforms.

You will translate state-of-the-art model-based and learning-based methods into robust, deployable capabilities from simulation through hardware bring-up, mentoring engineers and guiding technical direction.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of robot controls experience or 4+ with a PhD.
• Proven expertise in whole-body control for floating-base or mobile systems.
• Hands-on experience with learning-based control in robotics.
• Strong C++ and Python for robotic systems.

Responsibilities

• Raise the quality of the overall controls stack — architecture, algorithms, real-time performance, testing, and long-term maintainability.
• Advance whole-body control across our platforms — the wheeled-base robot and the biped — coordinating the base or legs with upper-body manipulation.
• Translate state-of-the-art model-based and learning-based methods into robust capability, from simulation through hardware bring-up and deployment.
• Mentor engineers and multiply team capability through design reviews, code reviews, and best practices.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with hardware, systems, and RL teams to co-develop solutions and diagnose system-level issues.

Skills

Robotics fundamentals

Whole-body control

C++ and Python

Reinforcement learning

Real-time systems

Education

MS/PhD in Robotics/CS/EE/ME

8+ years robot controls experience

Tools

QP-based control

MPC

Job description

Apptronik is a human-centered robotics company developing AI-powered robots to support humanity in every facet of life. Our flagship humanoid robot, Apollo, is built to collaborate thoughtfully with people, starting with critical industries such as manufacturing and logistics, with future applications in healthcare, the home, and beyond.

We operate at the cutting edge of Applied AI, applying our expertise across the full robotics stack to solve some of society’s most important problems. You will join a team dedicated to bringing Apollo to market at scale, tackling the complex challenges like safety, commercialization, and mass production to change the world for the better.

JOB SUMMARY

Apptronik is building robots for the real world — to improve human quality of life and help solve the ever-increasing labor shortage. As a Staff Software Engineer – Humanoid Controls, you will be a senior technical force multiplier on our Motion Control & Planning team — the person who raises the quality of our robotics stack and moves to wherever the hardest problem is. Your scope spans whole-body control for our wheeled-base platform and our biped, learning-based hand control, mobile manipulation, and teleoperation — translating state-of-the-art controls and learning into real capability while setting technical direction for the team.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES or KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Raise the quality of the overall controls stack — architecture, algorithms, real-time performance, testing, and long-term maintainability.
• Advance whole-body control across our platforms — the wheeled-base robot and the biped — coordinating the base or legs with upper-body manipulation.
• Flex across the stack to the highest-impact problems — e.g. learning-based hand control (RL in simulation), mobile manipulation, teleoperation, and estimation.
• Translate state-of-the-art model-based and learning-based methods into robust capability, from simulation through hardware bring-up and deployment.
• Expand the robot’s performance envelope — speed, payload, reliability, and safety — with measurable, defensible improvements.
• Set technical direction across the controls stack, influencing the roadmap and bringing adjacent teams (locomotion, manipulation, teleoperation, RL, estimation) along.
• Mentor engineers and multiply team capability through design reviews, code reviews, and best practices.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with hardware, systems, and RL teams to co-develop solutions and diagnose system-level issues.

SKILLS AND REQUIREMENTS

• Deep robotics fundamentals: kinematics, dynamics, state estimation, and optimization/control theory.
• Proven expertise in whole-body control (WBC/OSC, QP-based control, or MPC) for floating-base (legged) or mobile (wheeled) systems.
• Hands-on experience with learning-based control / reinforcement learning applied to robotics (training in simulation).
• Breadth across robot control problems — mobile manipulation, dexterity / hand control, and teleoperation — and the versatility to move between them.
• Strong software engineering: real-time C++ and Python for robotic systems.
• Industry experience developing production-grade controllers, including hands-on experience validating or deploying algorithms on physical robot hardware.
• Preferred: shipping controllers to a production fleet or to market at scale; dexterous / in-hand manipulation; legged locomotion; or safety-critical / certified software (ISO 13849, 10218, IEC 61508).

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• MS or PhD in Robotics, CS, EE, ME, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• 8+ years of relevant industry experience (or 4+ with a PhD) in robot controls, with a track record of getting controllers working on physical hardware.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• Must be able to lift 15 pounds at times
• Vision to read printed materials and a computer screen
• Hearing and speech to communicate

Compensation:

The annual compensation for this position is $300,000 - $350,000 (USD)

*This is a direct hire. Please, no outside Agency solicitations.

Apptronik provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.