Robotics Engineer Job San Francisco area,California USA,Software Development

I am partnering with a fast-growing robotics company building autonomous systems for the physical world to find a Staff Robotics Software Engineer. This is a senior individual-contributor seat for someone who wants to stay hands-on with the hardest technical problems - architecture, perception, planning and controls - while raising the bar for the engineers around them, rather than moving into people management.

What

You'll Do:

Own and drive architecture decisions across the robotics software stack - perception, planning/controls, or the embedded systems tying them together
Solve the hardest, most ambiguous technical problems on the team, from system-level tradeoffs to gnarly bring-up and debug issues
Set technical direction and review designs across multiple teams without owning a headcount
Mentor and level up other engineers through code review, design review, and pairing
Partner closely with hardware, product, and safety teams to get the platform from prototype to fleet
Weigh in on the technical roadmap when architecture decisions need a senior voice at the leadership table

What Our Client Is Looking For:

8+ years of software engineering experience, including deep, hands-on work in robotics, autonomous vehicles, or safety-critical embedded systems
Demonstrated Staff/Principal-level technical leadership - architecture ownership spanning multiple teams, not just a single project
Deep fluency in at least two of: perception/sensor fusion, motion planning and controls, embedded/real-time software, or safety-critical systems architecture
Strong C++ and experience with ROS/ROS2 or an equivalent real-time robotics framework
A track record of shipping autonomous or semi-autonomous systems into real-world operation, not just simulation
Excellent technical communication - comfortable driving alignment across teams without formal authority

Nice to Have:

Experience with ISO 26262, SOTIF, or similar functional-safety frameworks
Background in autonomous vehicles, field robotics, or industrial/warehouse robotics specifically
A track record of staying an IC by choice at Staff/Principal level rather than moving into management

What Our Client Offers:

Competitive base salary plus meaningful equity in a fast-growing company
Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
401(k) with company match
Flexible PTO and a hybrid work schedule
Real influence over the platform's technical direction, without the overhead of managing a team