Robotics Engineer

mcfa•Middle River, MD

7d•$110,000 - $140,000•Onsite

About The Position

MCFA is partnering with a defense research organization to hire a Robotics Engineer supporting intelligent robotics research. The role focuses on integrating software and hardware for proof-of-concept demonstrations and evaluating autonomous behaviors on individual robots and teams of ground and aerial platforms. The position is onsite in Middle River, Maryland, and includes outdoor work in varying terrain and weather, with travel two to three times per year for up to two weeks.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Robotics, Computer Science, Mechanical, Electrical, or Computer Engineering, or a related field.
3–5 years of robotics software engineering, autonomy, and/or robotic systems integration experience.
U.S. citizenship and an active U.S. SECRET clearance, or the ability to obtain one.
Hands-on ROS and/or ROS 2 development and deployment on Linux, including command-line tools and troubleshooting.
Proficiency in Python and C++ for robotics software, including CMake, Git, and third-party library integration.
Working knowledge of perception, SLAM/localization, navigation, and motion control, including platform constraints.
Experience integrating sensors and compute on robotic platforms, including cameras, LiDAR, IMU, GPS, or motion capture, and troubleshooting hardware/software interfaces.
Experience planning, executing, and reporting robotics experiments, including data logging and algorithm verification.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including code documentation, technical reports, and presentations.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree with a robotics or autonomy concentration.
PX4, MAVLink, or similar flight/autonomy stacks; multi-robot or UAV–UGV teaming.
State estimation and control methods such as EKF/UKF, MPC, LQR, or comparable methods.
Computer vision, machine learning, or robot simulation experience, such as Gazebo or Isaac.
Experience with operator tools such as RViz or Qt dashboards, or time-series data systems such as InfluxDB.
Linux+ / RHCSA or equivalent certification; prior robotics publications or technical reports.

Responsibilities

Design and integrate a mobile-robot autonomy stack covering perception, mapping and localization, navigation, control, and higher-level intelligence such as exploration and multi-platform mission management.
Deploy autonomy software on ground and aerial platforms and integrate sensors, compute, and software for laboratory and field missions using Ubuntu and/or RHEL.
Plan, execute, and support robotics experiments, including field tests in controlled but sometimes austere environments such as desert and forest terrain.
Collaborate with ARL staff and university partners to refactor, optimize, and verify prototype algorithms.
Analyze experimental data; document code and system architecture; and prepare reports, briefings, and publications.
Support configuration, integration, and system administration on laboratory and field platforms as assigned.