Robotics Validation & Release Engineer

AES•Arlington, VA

11d•$145,000 - $181,050

About The Position

The AES Corporation is seeking a Robotics Validation & Release Engineer to lead the end-to-end validation and release strategy for the software powering Maximo, its solar module installation robotic system. The role covers validation of perception, autonomy, controls, safety, and system services before releases are deployed to production robots on active construction sites. The engineer will establish scalable release criteria, quality gates, verification and validation plans, and repeatable deployment processes for a rugged outdoor robotic platform. The position is accountable for executing validation across simulation, hardware-in-the-loop, laboratory systems, and field environments, ensuring performance, reliability, and safety requirements are met before deployment. The engineer will work across robotics, engineering, product, construction, business development, finance, supply chain, strategy, and external industry partners. The role also owns release documentation and version control, supports debugging across software and hardware boundaries, and advances the validation and release roadmap for Maximo.

Requirements

Bachelor's or master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, or a related field.
At least 6 years of work experience in robotics systems.
Proven track record owning releases for systems with embedded or real-time components and hardware interfaces.
Hands-on experience with automated testing frameworks, CI/CD, and test infrastructure, such as Python tooling, Docker, and build systems.
Strong debugging skills across software and hardware boundaries, including the ability to reproduce and systematically isolate field issues.
Strong theoretical foundation in robotics software and system architecture.
Strong programming skills in languages such as C++ and Python.
Proficiency in ROS 2 and experience with ROS hardware integration.
Experience with robotics simulation and digital twins.
Experience with middleware and networking considerations in distributed robotic systems, including DDS, QoS, latency/jitter, and time synchronization.
Proven track record of successfully delivering complex robotics systems to market.
Knowledge of robotics platforms and sensor systems.
Ability to work dynamically and collaboratively across multiple teams in a fast-paced technical business environment with minimal supervision.
Excellent communication skills and a results-oriented, can-do approach; comfort with uncertainty and ambiguity, while maintaining attention to quality and detail.
Demonstrated ability to understand solar engineering and technology concepts, question assumptions, and make informed product and technology decisions.
English required.

Nice To Haves

Experience designing test plans and validation strategies for autonomy/robotics or safety-critical systems is strongly preferred.
Technical understanding of automation, robotics, computer vision, machine learning, and/or artificial intelligence is a plus.
Entrepreneurial passion, intellectual curiosity, and a make-it-happen attitude.

Responsibilities

Define validation strategy and test coverage expectations for unit, integration, system, regression, and endurance testing.
Own the software release process from release planning through deployment and post-release verification.
Build and maintain a release-readiness framework, including entry and exit criteria, go/no-go checklists, sign-offs, and rollback plans.
Develop and maintain CI pipelines and automated regression suites, ensuring results are visible, actionable, and trusted.
Coordinate system-level verification across simulation, hardware-in-the-loop, laboratory rigs, and field-test robots; standardize test environments.
Establish performance benchmarks and acceptance thresholds for accuracy, latency, stability, uptime, and safety.
Partner with engineering and product leads to translate product requirements into testable acceptance criteria and validation plans.
Own release documentation, including release notes, known issues, validation reports, and deployment playbooks.
Ensure safe deployment practices align with applicable safety standards and field operational constraints.
Establish verification and validation practices, including architecture reviews, test plans, performance benchmarks, and traceability from requirements to tests.
Design, develop, implement, and troubleshoot robotics systems and components, including servomotors, automation sensors, vision systems, battery management, and safety components.
Ensure seamless integration of robotic systems with other components and systems.
Conduct rigorous testing and validation of robotics systems against performance and safety requirements.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate robotics solutions into complex systems.
Build scenario libraries covering terrain and slope, occlusions, lighting, and sensor noise, along with acceptance metrics.
Validate simulation-to-field correlation, including sensor models against real-world logs.
Create test procedures, instrumentation, and debugging workflows to support transition from simulation to real-world testing and help close simulation-to-field gaps.
Develop and maintain robotic system architecture, supporting continuous improvement and innovation.
Design, develop, and implement algorithms for real-time tasks such as trajectory generation, motion control, robotic motion, and system optimization.
Research, develop, implement, and test new capabilities for industrial robotics.