Robotics Engineer, Mobile Manipulation - NREC

About the role

The National Robotics Engineering Center (NREC) seeks a skilled roboticist to contribute to the development and deployment of advanced mobile manipulation systems. This role involves hands-on development, integration, and deployment of robotic systems that combine perception, planning, and control to solve real-world challenges in logistics, manufacturing, and automated science.

Responsibilities

• Develop algorithms for perception-aided control of manipulators on mobile robots for real-world applications
• Prototype in scripting languages
• Transition applications to deployment with production-quality code
• Design, develop, document, test, troubleshoot, and maintain software applications and integrated systems
• Interact with sponsors for planning, application support, and reporting purposes
• Survey literature and implement innovative techniques to tackle exciting problems
• Follow protocols for team software development (peer reviews of designs and code, unit and system testing, version control, bug tracking, integrated documentation)
• Develop, document, and apply software system testing, troubleshooting, and verification procedures
• Collaborate with engineers with varied skills, including communication, co-design, and joint decision-making

Requirements

• B.S. in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics or equivalent experience (M.S. or PhD is a bonus)
• 1-3 years combined graduate academic and professional software development experience
• Experience with 3D perception (LiDAR, stereo vision, RGB-D, point cloud processing)
• Strong background in kinematics, dynamics, and control of manipulators
• Knowledge of at least one motion planning technique (MoveIt, OMPL, RRT*)
• Strong grasp of grasp/manipulation planning or whole-body control
• Proficiency in C++
• Experience with scripting languages for quick prototyping of computer vision applications (Python or Matlab preferred)
• Linux development experience
• Basic software engineering principles
• Technical communication skills
• Demonstrated success collaborating alongside a multi-functional team

Qualifications

• Experience with sensor and robot calibration (stereo, hand-eye, multi-modal)
• Knowledge of visual sensing, robot navigation, and field robotics
• Familiarity with reinforcement learning, imitation learning, or foundation models for robotics
• Understanding of visual/inertial odometry, mapping, or SLAM
• Experience with simulation tools like Gazebo, Isaac Sim, or Mujoco
• Knowledge of real-time control and embedded systems
• Experience with C++ Libraries such as OpenCV, PCL, ROS, Boost, Eigen, and CUDA programming

Other Requirements

• Successful pre-employment background check
• Work on a variety of projects, including those involving military/defense applications and/or funded by military/defense sponsors

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, prescription, dental, and vision insurance
• A generous retirement savings program with employer contributions
• Flexible work arrangements
• Tuition benefits
• Accommodations for childcare needs
• Access to fitness center
• Free Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus pass

NREC at a Glance

• Located in Pittsburgh or “Roboburgh”, a hub for over 120+ robotics companies
• 30+ years of pioneering robotics research
• 150+ professionals driving innovation and real-world impact
• Part of Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute, a global leader in robotics
• Leader in educational outreach through the Robotics Academy, which develops curricula and software for K–12 and college-level students