Robotics Engineer, Mobile Manipulation - NREC

Position Overview

At the National Robotics Engineering Center (NREC), our engineers and technicians drive breakthroughs that define our success. You will work alongside world-class robotics professionals committed to pushing the boundaries of technology and redefining ideas into real-world robotic solutions. Emphasizing hands-on development, integration, and deployment, this role bridges research and industry by transforming advanced concepts into production-ready technologies addressing challenges in logistics, manufacturing, and automated science.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop algorithms for perception-aided control of manipulators on mobile robots for real-world applications.
• Prototype using 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 challenging problems.
• Follow team software development protocols including peer reviews, unit and system testing, version control, bug tracking, and integrated documentation.
• Develop, document, and apply software system testing, troubleshooting, and verification procedures.
• Collaborate with engineers through clear communication, co-design, and joint decision making.

Required Qualifications

• 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).
• Knowledge of kinematics, dynamics, and control of manipulators.
• Strong background in motion planning (e.g. MoveIt, OMPL, RRT*, etc.), grasp/manipulation planning, or whole-body control.
• Strong C++ skills.
• Experience with scripting languages for quick prototyping of computer vision applications (Python or Matlab preferred).
• Linux development experience.
• Knowledge of basic software engineering principles and technical communication skills.
• Demonstrated success collaborating with multi-functional teams.

Preferred Qualifications

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

Benefits & Perks

• Compensation: Competitive salary along with a comprehensive benefits package.
• Comprehensive medical, prescription, dental, and vision insurance.
• Generous retirement savings program with employer contributions and tuition benefits.
• Ample paid time off, observed holidays, and life & accidental death/disability insurance.
• Additional perks include a free Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus pass, access to a Family Concierge Team, and fitness center access.