Robot Platform Software Engineer, Wireless Networking

Apptronik • Austin, TX

7h • Onsite

About The Position

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 embodied 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.

Apptronik is seeking a Wireless Networking Engineer to join our team in Austin, TX, to own the software and systems behind reliable wireless connectivity for our flagship humanoid robot, Apollo. In this role, you will define network requirements, conduct technology trade-off studies, and harden links for real-time teleoperation and fleet operations across various facilities. You will join a dedicated team applying expertise across the robotics stack to solve complex challenges in safety and commercialization to change the world for the better.

Requirements

• Proficiency in C++ within a Linux environment for system-level and real-time performance-sensitive code.
• Solid command of TCP/IP, UDP, and QoS mechanisms with the ability to perform latency and jitter analysis.
• Working knowledge of 802.11 internals (WiFi 6/6E) and RF propagation/interference fundamentals.
• Hands-on experience with the Linux wireless stack (nl80211, wpa_supplicant) and network drivers.
• Familiarity with network security (WPA3-Enterprise, 802.1X/EAP) and certificate/PKI lifecycles.
• Experience with robotics/embedded middleware like ROS2/DDS and containerization tools like Docker.

Nice To Haves

• private 5G/CBRS deployment
• video codec experience (H.264/H.265/AV1) and GStreamer pipeline tuning
• multi-robot/fleet networking
• RF lab/measurement experience

Responsibilities

• Define functional and non-functional network requirements including latency budgets, bandwidth minimums, and security posture for various traffic classes.
• Evaluate and recommend candidate technologies such as WiFi 6/6E, private 5G, and LTE against defined robot requirements.
• Engineer wireless links to sustain ~100 Hz control and telemetry traffic with bounded tail latency using MAC- and IP-layer QoS.
• Optimize bandwidth to reduce aggregate traffic to fit specific WiFi channels through video encoding and telemetry decimation.
• Configure and harden the robot's wireless stack on embedded Linux, including roaming, addressing, and reconnection handling.
• Partner with hardware/RF teams to characterize radio modules, antenna placement, and self-interference from power electronics.
• Design robot-side network health telemetry and diagnostic trouble codes integrated into the telemetry pipeline.
• Design link-loss detection, watchdog logic, and safe-state transitions to ensure operational safety over wireless links.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level