Senior Robotics Engineer

Lightspeed•Northbrook, IL

2d•Onsite

About The Position

As a Senior Robotics Engineer, you will design, develop, and deploy the core robotic control systems powering LightSpeed’s construction automation platforms. You will work hands-on with industrial robots, developing motion planning algorithms, real-time control software, and sensor integration systems that enable our BRUTE and DEX platforms to achieve sub-millimeter precision in demanding construction environments. This role demands deep robotics expertise, strong software skills, and the ability to bridge the gap between simulation and real-world deployment.

Requirements

5+ years of hands-on robotics engineering with industrial or collaborative robot systems
Deep proficiency in ROS2 architecture, node lifecycle management, and real-time communication patterns
Hands-on experience with MoveIt2 or MoveIt Pro for motion planning and manipulation
Strong understanding of robot kinematics, dynamics, and control theory
Experience with physics-based robotics simulators: MuJoCo, IsaacSIM, or Gazebo
Strong programming in Python and C++ for real-time robotics applications
Experience with real-time operating systems and deterministic control loops
Proficiency with Git, CI/CD pipelines, and modern development workflows
Understanding of industrial networking protocols (EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP)

Nice To Haves

MS or PhD in Robotics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field
Experience with industrial platforms: Hyundai, FANUC, ABB, KUKA, or Universal Robots
Background in construction technology, automated manufacturing, or prefabrication
Experience with real-time Linux (PREEMPT_RT) and low-latency control systems
Contributions to open-source robotics projects (ROS2, MoveIt, or related)
Published research or patents in robotics, motion planning, or control systems

Responsibilities

Develop and optimize ROS2-based control architectures for multi-robot coordination in manufacturing cells
Implement motion planning and trajectory optimization using MoveIt2 and custom planners for complex assembly tasks
Design real-time pose synchronization systems for coordinated multi-robot operations
Build and maintain robot driver interfaces for Hyundai industrial robots and collaborative robot arms
Develop collision avoidance and safety monitoring systems for human-robot collaborative environments
Build high-fidelity simulation environments using MuJoCo, IsaacSIM, and Gazebo for system validation before deployment
Develop digital twin frameworks linking physical robot cells to simulation models for predictive analysis
Create automated testing pipelines for robotics software using hardware-in-the-loop simulation
Validate control algorithms in simulation before deploying to production robot cells
Integrate and calibrate sensor systems including LIDAR, depth cameras, force/torque sensors, and encoders
Develop sensor fusion algorithms for precise robot localization and workpiece tracking
Implement real-time quality monitoring using sensor feedback during automated assembly operations
Design calibration procedures and drift compensation for production environments
Deploy robotic control systems to production cells and troubleshoot field issues
Integrate robot control with LightSpeed Overwatch monitoring platform via Python/FastAPI
Optimize robot cycle times, path planning, and operational efficiency in production
Support scaling from current cell deployments to multi-site operations