Staff Robotics Engineer- Spot Manipulation

Do you have a passion for applying state-of-the-art controls and kinematic planning to solve real-world manipulation problems? As a Staff Robotics Engineer on the Spot Manipulation team, you will play a pivotal role in tackling some of the most challenging physical interaction problems in mobile robotics. Your role will encompass a broad range of responsibilities across the manipulation stack, including low-level arm control, force dynamics, inverse kinematics, and path planning. Success in this position requires a blend of deep technical expertise, innovation, empathy for customer needs, and collaborative teamwork within a dynamic, multidisciplinary environment.

Responsibilities

Lead the development of novel control algorithms to enhance Spot's arm manipulation, grasping, and physical interaction capabilities; Conduct thorough hardware testing and debugging using the in-house Spot fleet; Produce highly reliable, maintainable, and easily testable production C++ code; Serve as a senior technical contributor, driving architectural decisions across the arm control stack; Facilitate design reviews and foster collaborative problem-solving with cross-functional engineering teams

Requirements

Master's degree (or equivalent experience) in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field; 3+ years of experience deploying controls and manipulation software on real-world hardware systems; High proficiency in C++ programming; Deep expertise in rigid-body dynamics, inverse kinematics, and classical control systems (e.g., impedance/force control, operational space control); Strong analytical, spatial reasoning, and hardware debugging skills; Eligible to work in the United States

Nice to have

Experience with kinematic path planning and trajectory optimization; Background in rigid-body simulation and Python; Exposure to modern learning-based techniques for manipulation (e.g., RL, visual policy learning/VLAs); PhD in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field

Benefits

medical; dental; vision; 401(k); paid time off; annual bonus structure