Senior Roboticist SDE, Personal Robotics Group

Amazon • Sunnyvale, CA

1d

About The Position

The Personal Robotics Group is pioneering intelligent robotic products that
deliver meaningful customer experiences. We're building the next generation of
robotic systems that will redefine how customers interact with technology. Our
work spans the full spectrum from advanced hardware design to sophisticated
software and control systems, combining mechanical innovation, software
engineering, dynamic systems modeling, and intelligent algorithms to create
robots that are not just functional, but delightful. This is a unique
opportunity to shape the future of personal robotics working with world-class
teams pushing the boundaries of what's possible in robotic manipulation,
locomotion, and human-robot interaction.

We're seeking a Senior Roboticist SDE to join our platform software team to
design software for our advanced robotic platform with a focus on functional
safety integration. You'll be responsible for developing real-time robotics
software that bridges high-level planning with low-level control, ensuring safe
and reliable operation in home environments. This role combines deep robotics
expertise with safety-critical system design, requiring someone who can
architect software for manipulation and locomotion while understanding the
constraints and requirements of functional safety systems.

You'll work closely with the Principal Platform Software Architect and Principal
Safety Software Architect to ensure your robotics software integrates seamlessly
with the platform and meets safety requirements. You'll collaborate with other
platform software engineers, controls engineers on algorithm deployment, lead
technical discussions on real-time system integration, and mentor junior
engineers on robotics software best practices. This role is critical for
establishing the robotics software foundation that enables safe, autonomous
operation in production.

Join us if you're passionate about creating the future of personal robotics,
solving complex challenges at the intersection of robotics and safety-critical
systems, and seeing your innovations deliver transformative customer
experiences.

Requirements

• 8+ years of non-internship professional software development experience
• 8+ years of programming with at least one software programming language experience
• 5+ years of leading design or architecture (design patterns, reliability and scaling) of new and existing systems experience
• Experience as a mentor, tech lead or leading an engineering team
• 5+ years experience with robotics systems including manipulation, locomotion, or mobile robotics platforms
• 5+ years experience with real-time control systems, sensor integration, and understanding of control systems concepts
• Proficiency in C/C++ for real-time robotics applications and experience with ROS/ROS 2 for robotics middleware

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor's degree in computer science or equivalent
• Experience with industrial communication protocols (EtherCAT, CAN, CANopen) for robotics applications
• Understanding of functional safety concepts (ISO 13489, IEC 61508, ISO 13482) and experience designing redundant or fail-safe systems
• Experience with safety-critical robotics systems or working with functional safety teams
• Knowledge of real-time operating systems (RTOS) including QNX, FreeRTOS, or similar platforms
• Experience with heterogeneous compute platforms featuring application processors and real-time microcontrollers
• Background in robotics, locomotion, or advanced manipulation systems
• Strong technical communication skills with experience presenting architecture to stakeholders
• Track record of establishing technical standards and software development practices for robotics systems

Responsibilities

• Lead robotics software architecture design for manipulation and locomotion control systems, defining real-time control integration patterns and safety-aware execution frameworks
• Design and implement software frameworks for deploying control algorithms on real-time systems, ensuring deterministic behavior and meeting hard real-time constraints (ie. 1kHz+ control loops)
• Architect interfaces between perception, planning, and control subsystems using ROS 2, establishing communication patterns that support real-time performance
• Integrate with industrial communication protocols (EtherCAT) for motor controller and actuator communication across the distributed robotic system
• Develop sensor integration software for robotics applications including IMUs, force/torque sensors, tactile sensors, and cameras, with appropriate data pipelines and processing
• Collaborate with controls engineers to deploy and validate control algorithms, ensuring they meet performance requirements and safety constraints
• Work with the Principal Platform Software Architect on robotics middleware architecture and API contracts between robotics applications and platform services
• Mentor engineers on robotics software development, real-time systems design, and safety-critical software practices

Benefits

• health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage)
• 401(k) matching
• paid time off
• parental leave

What This Job Offers

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