Founding Robotics Engineer

General Astronautics | San Francisco, California, United States | 2w ago

skills: robotics, controls, perception, motion planning, trajectory generation, real-time control systems, NVIDIA Isaac Sim, algorithm validation, hardware-in-the-loop testing, object localization, manipulation planning, ROS2, real-time Linux, robot kinematics, robot dynamics, Python, C++, vision-language-action models, autonomous task execution, grasping, assembly, multi-camera perception, SLAM, fault tolerance, safe autonomy

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Founding Robotics Engineer

General Astronautics is building autonomous dexterous robotic arms for microgravity environments. Our systems enable orbital science and manufacturing that isn't possible on Earth, and we're doing it without humans in the loop. We're looking for a Founding Robotics Engineer to own the full robotics stack: controls, perception, software, and simulation. You will guide how our arm thinks, sees, and moves, and ensure that behavior is validated in simulation before it ever reaches orbit.

Responsibilities

Own the robotics software stack from low-level control through high-level autonomy
Design and implement motion planning, trajectory generation, and real-time control systems for a dexterous robotic arm in microgravity
Develop and maintain simulation environments in NVIDIA Isaac Sim for algorithm validation, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and operator training
Build perception pipelines using cameras, depth sensors, and other modalities to enable object localization, manipulation planning, and environment understanding
Architect the controls and software framework for autonomous task execution, grasping, assembly, manipulation, without human intervention
Integrate with vision-language-action (VLA) models and other learned policies for generalized manipulation
Define software interfaces between the autonomy stack, onboard compute, and mechanical/avionics systems
Collaborate with the mechanical engineer to co-optimize actuator selection, sensor placement, and system architecture
Support hardware testing and commissioning, put hands on the robot

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related discipline
2+ years of experience in robotics software development, including controls, motion planning, or perception
Strong proficiency in ROS2 and real-time Linux environments
Experience with robot kinematics, dynamics, and trajectory planning
Proficiency in Python and C++
Hands-on experience integrating and commissioning robotic hardware

Preferred Skills and Experience

Experience with NVIDIA Isaac Sim or comparable simulation platforms (Gazebo, MuJoCo, PyBullet)
Experience with dexterous manipulation, grasp planning, or force/torque-controlled assembly
Familiarity with vision-language-action models or other learned manipulation policies
Experience with multi-camera perception systems, AprilTag or fiducial localization, or SLAM
Experience with Franka, Kinova, UR, or similar research/industrial arms
Background in space robotics, surgical robotics, or other high-reliability autonomous systems
Familiarity with libfranka, MoveIt2, or similar frameworks
Experience designing for fault tolerance, safe autonomy, and graceful degradation
Strong communication skills, you'll interface heavily with the mechanical, avionics, and science teams

ITAR / Citizenship Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

Benefits

health insurance

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