Robotics data engineer
Company Description
We are an early-stage robotics startup working on building multi-purpose mobile robots that can do complex manipulation tasks. We're seeking a creative and technically exceptional Robotics Data Engineer to join our founding team in Santa Clara, CA (on-site). You'll architect and build the data infrastructure that enables our robots to learn from experience—from teleoperation systems that capture human expertise to large-scale pipelines that transform raw robot data into training datasets for foundation models. Your work will directly accelerate our path from research to deployed systems performing real manipulation tasks.
Responsibilities
Design and implement state-of-the-art teleoperation systems (VR, hand tracking, etc.) for intuitive robot control and high-quality demonstration capture
Build scalable data collection pipelines handling multi-modal sensor data (cameras, proprioception, etc.) with robust synchronization and storage
Architect efficient data infrastructure connecting human demonstrations to ML training pipelines, enabling rapid iteration from data collection to deployed policies
Develop novel algorithms and methods for collecting diverse, high-quality robot data more efficiently
Write production-grade code to build robust systems that work reliably in real-world conditions
Work closely with other engineers to optimize data formats, preprocessing pipelines, and training workflows
Required Qualifications
PhD in Robotics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field; OR Master's degree with 1+ years industry experience; OR Bachelor's degree with 3+ years industry experience
Strong programming skills in C++, Rust, or Python with demonstrated ability to build production systems
Deep understanding of robot kinematics, control, and motion planning
Experience with one or more: teleoperation systems, VR/AR development, human-robot interaction, data collection infrastructure
Understanding of machine learning workflows, particularly for robotics (imitation learning, reinforcement learning, or foundation models, etc)
Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to work across the full stack
Genuine passion for robotics—you love working with robots and are excited to dedicate yourself to pushing the boundaries of what they can do
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced startup environment where your work directly impacts our trajectory
Preferred Qualifications
Experience developing VR/AR applications (Unity, Unreal Engine, etc.) for robotics or simulation
Background in localization systems (SLAM, visual odometry, motion capture, etc.)
Hands-on experience building large-scale data collection infrastructure or ML data pipelines
Knowledge of state-of-the-art robot learning algorithms (behavior cloning, diffusion policies, LBMs/LBFs)
Experience with distributed systems, workflow orchestration, and cloud infrastructure
Familiarity with robot simulators (Isaac Sim, MuJoCo, Drake, etc.) and sim-to-real transfer
Publications or open-source contributions in robotics, ML, or computer systems
Experience with real-time systems, sensor fusion, or computer vision
Background working with ROS/ROS2 or similar robotics middleware
Track record of shipping production robotics or ML systems