Senior Robotics Engineer (Motion Planning)

Location: Austin, TX Salary: $150,000.00 USD Annually - $180,000.00 USD Annually Description:
Senior Robotics Engineer - Motion Planning

Location: Austin, TX (Onsite)
Job Type: Full-Time
About the Role

We are seeking a Senior Robotics Engineer, Motion Planning to lead the next phase of motion-performance improvement for advanced robotic manipulation systems used in warehouse automation. This role is focused on developing fast, smooth, and dynamically feasible robot motion under real-world hardware constraints. You will serve as the technical leader for motion planning and trajectory generation, driving throughput improvements while maintaining safety, reliability, and payload stability.

This is a senior individual contributor position requiring deep expertise in robotic manipulation, trajectory optimization, motion planning, and real-world robotic deployments.
Responsibilities
Trajectory Optimization

• Own trajectory generation and time parameterization, converting planned paths into time-optimal, dynamically feasible trajectories.
• Minimize cycle times while respecting velocity, acceleration, jerk, torque, and payload constraints.
• Drive performance improvements through advanced time parameterization techniques and optimization-based motion planning approaches, including optimal control and QP/NLP-based methods.
• Develop smooth, jerk-limited motion profiles that maximize hardware safety and payload stability.
• Address kinematic edge cases such as singularities and joint-limit constraints.

Path Planning and Motion Architecture

• Lead geometric path planning for high-degree-of-freedom robotic manipulators operating in complex and cluttered environments.
• Evaluate, architect, and improve motion-planning frameworks and toolchains, including technologies such as MoveIt, OMPL, CHOMP, and TrajOpt.
• Integrate perception outputs into planning environments for collision-aware motion execution.
• Ensure robust collision avoidance around structures, obstacles, and neighboring objects.

Performance Validation

• Define and track key motion-performance metrics.
• Benchmark alternative planning approaches and validate performance gains in simulation and on physical robotic systems.
• Utilize physics-based and kinematic simulation environments to de-risk deployments and improve system reliability.

Technical Leadership

• Establish technical direction for motion-planning initiatives.
• Drive long-term improvements in cycle time, throughput, and operational reliability.
• Mentor and support junior and mid-level engineers.
• Collaborate closely with autonomy, perception, controls, and software engineering teams to deliver high-performing robotic solutions.

Minimum Qualifications
Experience

• 5+ years of professional experience in:
  • Motion planning
  • Trajectory optimization
  • Robotic manipulator control
• Demonstrated experience deploying robotic systems on real hardware.
• Proven ownership of motion-planning performance and system optimization.

Education

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in:
  • Robotics
  • Computer Science
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Related technical field
• Equivalent practical experience will also be considered.

Technical Skills

• Strong expertise in classical trajectory generation and time-parameterization methods, including:
  • TOTG/TOPP-RA
  • Ruckig
  • S-curve motion profiles
• Deep understanding of manipulator kinematics and dynamics, including:
  • Forward and inverse kinematics
  • Collision checking
  • Velocity, acceleration, jerk, and torque constraints
  • Singularity handling
  • Joint-limit management
• Experience with optimization-based motion planning approaches such as:
  • Optimal control
  • Quadratic programming (QP)
  • Nonlinear programming (NLP)
• Strong proficiency in:
  • Modern C++
  • Python
  • ROS1 and/or ROS2
• Experience validating performance improvements through simulation and real-world testing.

Soft Skills

• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to lead complex technical initiatives with minimal direction.
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Experience mentoring and developing engineers.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with MoveIt and related planning frameworks.
• Knowledge of motion-planning algorithms including:
  • RRT
  • RRT-Connect
  • PRM
  • CHOMP
  • TrajOpt
• Experience working with industrial robotic manipulators and real-time control systems.
• Experience with multi-object or multi-pick manipulation planning.
• Background optimizing throughput and cycle time in production robotics environments.
• Experience with GPU-accelerated or learning-based motion-planning techniques.
• Experience using simulation platforms such as:
  • Isaac Sim
  • Gazebo
  • MuJoCo
  • Bullet

Work Environment

• Location: Austin, Texas
• Work Arrangement: Fully onsite
• Collaborate closely with multidisciplinary teams in a fast-paced engineering environment focused on robotics innovation and real-world deployment.

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