Robotics Validation & Release Engineer

AES US•Arlington, VA

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

The AES Corporation, a global power company with 8,300 employees across 12 countries, is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Robotics Validation & Release Engineer. This role is crucial for leading the definition and execution of the end-to-end validation and release strategy for the software powering Maximo, our solar module installation robotic system. The position involves testing and validating perception, autonomy, controls, safety, and system services before deployment to production robots on active construction sites. The engineer will establish clear release criteria, quality gates, and verification and validation plans that scale with fleet growth. Responsibilities include executing tests and validation activities across simulation, hardware-in-the-loop, lab systems, and field environments, ensuring performance, reliability, and safety requirements are met. The role requires leveraging expertise in robotics, simulation, testing, and system validation to troubleshoot complex challenges and collaborate with cross-functional teams. The successful candidate will translate product-level requirements into structured validation plans, release criteria, and repeatable deployment processes for a rugged outdoor robotic platform. This is an entrepreneurial, mission-driven role focused on progressing, developing, and executing the validation and release roadmap for the solar module installation robotic system, with ownership of defining release criteria, quality gates, and ensuring system requirements and performance targets are met. The individual will also be responsible for improving documentation, strengthening validation processes, and maintaining disciplined development and release practices.

Requirements

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, or a related field.
6+ years of work experience in robotics system.
Proven track record owning releases for systems that include embedded/real-time components and hardware interfaces.
Hands-on experience with automated testing frameworks, CI/CD, and test infrastructure (e.g., Python tooling, Docker, build systems).
Experience designing test plans and validation strategies for autonomy/robotics or safety-critical systems is strongly preferred.
Strong debugging skills across software/hardware boundaries; ability to reproduce and isolate field issues systematically.
Comfort with uncertainty and fast iteration; ability to balance speed and rigor while maintaining high quality standards.
Strong theoretical foundation in robotics software and system architecture.
Strong programming skills in languages such as C++, Python
Proficiency in ROS2 and experience with ROS hardware integration
Experience with robotics simulation and digital twins.
Experience with middleware and networking considerations (DDS, QoS, latency/jitter, time synchronization) in distributed robotic systems.
Proven track record of successfully delivering complex robotics systems to market
Knowledge of robotics platforms and sensor systems.
Founder’s mentality : Entrepreneurial passion for getting things done and a “make it happen” attitude with an intellectual curiosity to seek new opportunities.
Capability to work dynamically and collaboratively across multiple teams in a fast-paced and technical business environment with minimal supervision.
Excellent communication skills.
Results-oriented, “can-do” attitude, and “get things done” mentality; comfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity; no compromise on attention to quality and details.
Technology fluency : Demonstrated ability to understand solar engineering and technology concepts, question assumptions, and make informed product and technology decisions.
English required

Nice To Haves

Technical understanding of automation, robotics, computer vision, machine learning and/or artificial intelligence, is a plus.

Responsibilities

Define validation strategy and test coverage expectations across unit, integration, system, regression, and endurance testing
Own the software release process end-to-end, from release planning through deployment and post-release verification.
Build and maintain a release readiness framework (entry/exit criteria, go/no-go checklists, sign-offs, and rollback plans).
Develop and maintain CI pipelines and automated regression suites; ensure results are visible, actionable, and trusted.
Coordinate system-level verification across simulation, HIL, lab rigs, and field test robots; standardize test environments.
Establish performance benchmarks and acceptance thresholds for critical behaviors (accuracy, latency, stability, uptime, 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 and alignment with applicable safety standards and operational constraints in the field.
Establish verification and validation practices: architecture reviews, test plans, performance benchmarks, and traceability from requirements to tests.
Design, develop, implement and troubleshoot robotics systems for various components, including robotics, servomotors, variety of 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 to meet performance and safety requirements
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure the successful integration of robotics solutions into complex systems.
Build scenario libraries (terrain/slope, occlusions, lighting, sensor noise) + acceptance metrics
Simulation-to-field correlation (validate sensor models vs real logs)
Support transition from simulation to real-world testing by creating test procedures, instrumentation, and debugging workflows; help close gaps between simulation and field
Develop and maintain robotic system architecture, ensuring continuous improvement and innovation.
Design, develop and implement advanced algorithms for real-time tasks such as trajectory generation, motion control, robotics motion, and system optimization.
Research, develop, implement, and test new capabilities for industrial robotics