Senior Robotics Engineer

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About Knightscope

Knightscope designs and operates Autonomous Security Robots (ASRs) that safeguard people and property around the clock. Our fleet of ASRs combines robotics, edge AI, and cloud services to deliver actionable, real‑time intelligence to clients nation‑wide.

Position Summary

The Senior Robotics Engineer leads architecture, algorithm development, and fleet‑level deployment of next‑generation ASR capabilities. You will own ROS2–based perception, localization, planning, and cloud‑connectivity pipelines, guiding a multi‑disciplinary team to deliver reliable, scalable, and secure autonomy.

Position is based out of our Sunnyvale HQ (On‑site and field‑based work required; this is not a remote position - Local candidates only).

Key Responsibilities

• System Architecture & Design – Specify end‑to‑end hardware–software–cloud architectures that meet functional, safety, and regulatory objectives.
• Algorithm R&D → Production – Prototype in Autoware/Gazebo/Ignition or Webots simulators, validate on physical robots, and transition to production‑quality C++/Python within ROS2 (Foxy/Humble/Iron).
• Perception & Sensor Fusion – Implement 3D LiDAR, RGB‑D, radar and IMU fusion; develop SLAM, localization, and multi‑modal detection (YOLO, DeepSORT, pose‑estimation).
• Planning & Control – Deploy Nav2 and MoveIt2 pipelines, real‑time trajectory generation, and behavior trees for autonomous patrol, docking and fail‑safe recovery.
• Edge AI & Analytics – Integrate TensorFlow Lite / ONNX Runtime‑based inference, anomaly detection, and continual‑learning workflows.
• DevOps & Fleet Management – Own CI/CD (GitHub Actions, Jenkins), containerization (Docker, MicroK8s), over‑the‑air (OTA) updates, and telemetry dashboards (Prometheus/Grafana).
• Cybersecurity & Compliance – Champion secure‑by‑design practices (TLS, secure boot, SBOM) and contribute to safety standards (UL4600, ISO10218, IEC61508).
• Leadership – Mentor and task a sub‑team of robotics engineers; conduct design reviews, code reviews, and career development sessions.
• Rapid Troubleshooting – Analyze fleet logs and on‑site issues to restore functionality and feed improvements back into the platform roadmap.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Master’s in Robotics, Mechatronics, Electrical/Computer Engineering, or related field.
• Experience: 7+ years as Robotics Engineer, R&D Engineer, Systems Engineer or similar, including at least 2 years hands‑on with ROS2 and Python/C++. Experience may be gained through paid roles or internships.
• Proficiency in modern development workflows: Git, Agile/Scrum, design documentation.

Preferred Qualifications

• 7+ years developing and deploying autonomous mobile robots or other safety‑critical embedded systems.
• Deep expertise in motion planning, probabilistic filtering (EKF/UKF/particle), and control theory.
• Real‑time Linux (PREEMPT_RT) or embedded RTOS; DDS tuning and QoS optimization.
• Experience with cloud robotics frameworks (AWS RoboMaker, Azure Percept) and edge‑to‑cloud communication (DDS, MQTT, ROS2 bridge).
• Knowledge of cybersecurity best practices and compliance frameworks (NIST, FedRAMP).
• Demonstrated leadership of small engineering teams.

Technologies You Will Use

• Middleware: ROS2, micro‑ROS, DDS (FastDDS, Cyclone), Nav2, MoveIt2
• Languages: C++17/20, Python3, Bash
• Sensors: 3D/2D LiDAR, ToF, RGB‑D, mmWave radar, wheel odometry, IMU
• Simulation/CI: Autoware/Gazebo/Ignition, Webots, GitHub Actions, Jenkins
• DevOps/Cloud: Docker, Kubernetes/MicroK8s, AWS RoboMaker, Grafana/Prometheus, MQTT, OTA frameworks
• AI/ML: TensorFlow Lite, ONNX Runtime, PyTorch, YOLOv7, edge TPU/NVIDIA Jetson

Physical & Other Requirements

• Ability to lift up to 40 lbs and work in warehouse and outdoor test environments.
• Occasional (<20%) travel to client sites, production facilities, and trade shows.

Knightscope is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.