Senior/Staff Robotics Engineer, Motion Planning

Responsibilities

• Architect and implement advanced local planners (e.g., MPC, MPPI) for heavy, non-holonomic bases on uneven terrain
• Build high-performance C++ pipelines to ingest AI-generated semantic maps and costmaps in real-time
• Ensure local planners dynamically adjust to real-time changes in the robot's Center of Mass (CoM)
• Build deterministic C++ safety layers and fallback behaviors to override AI inputs when physical constraints are violated
• Architect local planning interfaces to pass trajectories and dynamic constraints to Whole-Body Control (WBC) architectures

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field, or M.S. with 4+ years of industry experience
• Deep experience developing local planners and trajectory optimization for mobile robots in unstructured environments
• Strong understanding of kinematics, vehicle dynamics, and center-of-mass constraints
• Expertise in modern C++ (C++17/20) with a focus on real-time performance and low-latency execution
• Proven track record of deploying autonomous navigation stacks on physical robotic platforms
• Ability to work onsite in Milpitas, CA 5 days per week

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with Whole-Body Control (WBC) frameworks and operational space control
• Experience with applied SLAM or state estimation in visually degraded environments
• Background in slip and traction estimation using proprioceptive sensor signals
• Experience using CUDA for GPU acceleration of grid processing or trajectory sampling

Benefits

• Competitive stock options and equity programs
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) plan
• Visa sponsorship and green card support
• Lunches, dinners, and a fully stocked kitchen

About the Company

RoboForce is an AI robotics company developing Physical AI–powered Robo-Labor for dull, dirty, and dangerous work in demanding industrial environments.