Senior Robotics Software Engineer, Test

Senior Robotics Software Engineer, TestChef Robotics is on a mission to accelerate the advent of intelligent machines in the physical world. As the rise of LLMs like ChatGPT has shown, AI has the potential to drive immense change. However, we believe AI's biggest impact will be in the physical world, given industries like manufacturing, food, and transportation represent 90% of global GDP. We're starting with food, with a goal to put an intelligent robot in every commercial kitchen in the world. We have signed multiple multi-year contracts with various large food companies and we are growing fast. We're backed by investors like Kleiner Perkins, Construct, Bloomberg BETA and Promus Ventures. We have a great team, where you will be surrounded by talented engineers and tech leaders from companies like Cruise, Zoox, Google, Verb Surgical, Tesla, Nuro, Vicarious, Amazon Robotics, Strateos, Built Robotics, Facebook, Plenty, Yelp, and Microsoft.About the RoleAs a Senior Robotics Software Engineer, Test at Chef Robotics, you'll develop comprehensive testing frameworks and methodologies to validate our robotic control algorithms, motion planning, safety systems, perception pipelines, and hardware-software integrations. You'll work across our entire robotics platform, with primary focus on robotics systems validation and significant emphasis on perception system testing. This role requires deep technical expertise in both robotics and perception software testing, with the ability to architect robust validation frameworks that ensure our robots perform consistently and safely in real-world food production environments while accurately perceiving and responding to their environment.Robotics Test Framework DevelopmentDesign and implement automated testing frameworks for robot motion planning and control systemsDevelop advanced evaluation frameworks for core robot behaviors over hundreds of scenariosDevelop advanced validation frameworks for real-time control loop performance and stability across diverse operational conditionsBuild sophisticated test harnesses for hardware-software integration validationArchitect simulation environments for testing robotic behavior without physical hardware dependenciesPerception System Testing & ValidationDesign and implement comprehensive testing frameworks for computer vision algorithms and perception pipelinesCreate automated test suites for object detection, segmentation, and classification in food production environmentsDevelop validation systems for camera calibration and depth estimation accuracyBuild test frameworks for lighting condition variations and visual robustness testingImplement automated testing for ingredient recognition and food property estimation algorithmsCreate test scenarios for perception system performance under varying environmental conditionsAdvanced Mechanical-Software Integration TestingDevelop test methodologies for validating actuator performance and precision position accuracyCreate automated test systems for calibration procedures and joint-space accuracy validationDesign and implement test fixtures that measure and validate force control and compliance behaviorsDevelop comprehensive test cases for evaluating system performance under varying payload and environmental conditionsCreate comprehensive test suites for safety-critical protective stop mechanisms and collision detection systemsImplement sophisticated tests for conveyor tracking and synchronization with moving production componentsBuild validation systems for mechanical system reliability and performance optimizationRobotics-Perception Integration TestingCreate complex test scenarios that validate robot controller consumption and response to perception dataDevelop comprehensive test harnesses for end-to-end validation of vision-guided manipulation tasksBuild automated testing systems for calibration between robot coordinate frames and vision systemsDesign advanced test cases that stress-test robot behavior under perception uncertainty and edge conditionsImplement robust validation frameworks for real-time coordination between perception and motion planning systemsCreate testing protocols for multi-sensor integration and sensor fusion validationTest Infrastructure & Automation DevelopmentDevelop CI/CD pipelines specifically optimized for robotics and perception system testingArchitect hardware-in-the-loop testing infrastructure for comprehensive component validationCreate sophisticated data collection and analysis systems to capture performance metrics and trendsDesign scalable test environments that simulate various operational and environmental conditionsImplement advanced automated test reporting, visualization, and analytics systemsBuild testing frameworks that support both simulated and real-world validation scenariosRequired Qualifications - Technical ExpertiseBachelor's degree in Robotics, Computer Science, Computer Vision, Mechanical Engineering, or related technical field7+ years of professional experience in robotics software development, perception systems, or testingExpert-level programming skills in Python with advanced software engineering capabilitiesExtensive experience with robotics simulation environments (Gazebo, PyBullet, MuJoCo, or similar)Strong background in computer vision and perception system development and testingDeep familiarity with robot control systems, motion planning, and real-time robotics softwareProven experience with CI/CD pipeline development and test automation frameworksAdvanced understanding of test automation principles, methodologies, and best practicesDomain KnowledgeDeep understanding of robotics kinematics, dynamics, and control systems with practical testing experienceExtensive experience with computer vision algorithms, image processing, and perception pipeline testingStrong background with industrial robotics, collaborative robots, or similar automation systemsAdvanced knowledge of safety systems in robotics applications and validation methodologiesComprehensive understanding of hardware-software integration testing for robotics systemsExperience with camera systems, calibration procedures, and vision-based measurement validationKnowledge of machine learning model testing and validation in production environmentsPersonal AttributesExceptional problem-solving skills with systematic approach to identifying edge cases and failure modesExcellence in technical communication and documentation of complex test methodologies and resultsProactive mindset in identifying potential issues and implementing preventive testing solutionsCollaborative approach working effectively with cross-functional development teamsComfort with working in a fast-paced startup environment with startup-oriented hoursCommitment to working onsite five days a week to contribute to positive in-office culturePassion for creating robust, reliable robotics and perception systemsDesired QualificationsExperience with ROS (Robot Operating System) and its comprehensive testing frameworksAdvanced knowledge of real-time systems testing and validation methodologiesExperience with OpenCV, PCL (Point Cloud Library), and other computer vision librariesFamiliarity with deep learning frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch) for perception model testingExperience with force/torque sensing, control, and testingExperience with industrial automation or manufacturing systems testing in production environmentsBackground in food processing equipment testing or production line automation validationExperience with 3D vision systems, point cloud processing, and spatial understandingFamiliarity with lighting systems and structured light for industrial vision applicationsStartup experience with track record of establishing testing frameworks under tight deadlinesExperience with automated testing of AI/ML components in robotics and perception systemsKey Projects You'll Work OnDeveloping comprehensive robotics and perception testing frameworks for production deployment validationBuilding advanced hardware-in-the-loop testing infrastructure for integrated robotics-perception systemsCreating sophisticated simulation environments for comprehensive behavior validationImplementing automated testing pipelines for continuous integration of robotics and perception softwareDesigning validation systems for vision-guided manipulation in food production environments$150,000 - $240,000 a yearChef is an early-stage startup where equity is a major part of the compensation package. As the company secures more capital, we will gradually increase salary and cash compensation. The starting salary will depend on seniority. In addition to salary and early-stage equity, we offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental