Robotics & AI Systems Development Engineer II

The Robotics & AI Systems Development Engineer II plays a foundational role in advancing Niagara' Bottling LLC's autonomous manufacturing strategy through the deployment of quadruped and Humanoid robotics and intelligent AI systems across bottle manufacturing maintenance operations.

This position is responsible for designing, programming, and deploying robotic systems while simultaneously developing scalable fleet management platforms and AI-driven manufacturing intelligence solutions. The role extends beyond robotics control to include AI architecture design, intelligent agent development, predictive and prescriptive maintenance systems, and enterprise-level integration across manufacturing ecosystems.

This is a high-impact, cross-functional engineering role requiring strong technical depth, system-level thinking, and the ability to communicate complex solutions effectively to diverse audiences including operations (Manufacturing plants), IT, systems Engineering, and executive leadership.

Key Responsibilities

1. Robotics Software Development & Autonomous Systems

• Design, develop, and deploy control systems for quadruped robots operating in active manufacturing environments.

• Develop autonomous inspection routines, navigation logic, and mission orchestration.

• Integrate and optimize sensor systems including thermal imaging, acoustic sensors, vibration monitoring, LiDAR, and vision systems.

• Implement edge-based decision-making frameworks for real-time anomaly detection.

• Ensure operational robustness in industrial bottling environments (wet floors, dynamic obstacles, tight production spaces).

2. Fleet Management Platform Development

• Architect and develop scalable fleet management software to manage multiple robotic assets across facilities.

• Design mission scheduling, battery optimization, health monitoring, and alerting systems.

• Develop cloud-edge synchronization frameworks for real-time data exchange.

• Integrate robotic data outputs into enterprise systems including CMMS, ticketing platforms (e.g., mCAPA), historians, and analytics platforms.

• Establish secure API-based integration models and microservices architecture where appropriate.

3. AI Architecture & Intelligent Manufacturing Agents

• Design and deploy AI-driven agents supporting:

o Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM)

o Predictive Maintenance (PdM)

o Prescriptive Maintenance

o Intelligent Diagnostics and Root Cause Analysis

• Develop time-series anomaly detection models for manufacturing asset health monitoring.

• Build LLM-enabled operator assistants and decision-support systems tailored to manufacturing workflows.

• Implement MLOps practices including model lifecycle management, monitoring, retraining, and governance.

• Support digital twin and manufacturing intelligence initiatives.

4. Industrial Systems Integration

• Integrate robotic and AI systems with PLC/SCADA platforms and industrial communication protocols (OPC-UA, MQTT, Modbus, TCP/IP).

• Design standardized data acquisition frameworks across diverse asset families (blowers, fillers, conveyors, utilities).

• Ensure system performance, reliability, cybersecurity, and scalability.

• Support pilot deployments and enterprise-scale rollouts.

5. Technical Communication & Cross-Functional Leadership

• Prepare and deliver technical presentations tailored to varied audiences including plant operations, engineering teams, IT leadership, and executive stakeholders.

• Translate complex AI and robotics concepts into measurable business value and ROI narratives.

• Participate in design reviews and strategic roadmap discussions.

• Support change management initiatives during technology adoption.

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Robotics, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, or a related technical discipline.

Experience

• 3-6 years of experience in robotics systems, AI engineering, or industrial automation.

• Demonstrated experience deploying solutions in real-world operational environments.

• Experience designing production-grade software systems beyond prototype development.

Technical Competencies

Robotics & Software Engineering

• Proficiency in ROS2 or equivalent robotics frameworks.

• Strong programming skills in Python and/or C++.

• Experience with motion planning, SLAM, perception pipelines, and computer vision.

AI & Machine Learning

• Experience developing and deploying machine learning models (time-series modeling preferred).

• Knowledge of LLM integration, embeddings, prompt engineering, and retrieval-augmented architectures.

• Familiarity with MLOps, CI/CD pipelines, and model versioning.

Systems & Industrial Technologies

• Understanding of PLC/SCADA platforms and industrial communication protocols.

• Experience integrating edge systems with cloud analytics platforms.

• Familiarity with manufacturing data environments and asset monitoring systems.

Professional Competencies

• Strong analytical and systems-thinking mindset.

• Ability to operate independently in ambiguous, high-growth technical environments.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Ability to translate technical depth into business outcomes.

• Collaborative and cross-functional working style.

• Successful deployment of quadruped robotics in pilot plant(s).

• Delivery of minimum viable fleet management platform.

• Integration of robotic outputs into enterprise maintenance systems.

• Deployment of at least one AI-based predictive model in production.

• Presentation of executive-level roadmap for robotics and AI scale strategy.

We offer competitive compensation and benefits packages for our Team Members., Our Total Rewards package is thoughtfully designed to support both you and your family:

Regular full-time team members are offered a comprehensive benefits package, while part-time, intern, and seasonal team members are offered a limited benefits package.

• Paid Time Off for holidays, sick time, and vacation time

• Paid parental and caregiver leaves

• Medical, including virtual care options

• Dental

• Vision

• 401(k) with company match

• Health Savings Account with company match

• Flexible Spending Accounts

• Expanded mental wellbeing benefits including free counseling sessions for all team members and household family members

• Family Building Benefits including enhanced fertility benefits for IVF and fertility preservation plus adoption, surrogacy, and Doula reimbursements

• Income protection including Life and AD&D, short and long-term disability, critical illness and an accident plan

• Special discount programs including pet plans, pre-paid legal services, identity theft, car rental, airport parking, etc.

• Tuition reimbursement, college savings plan and scholarship opportunities

• And more!

https://careers.niagarawater.com/us/en/benefits

• Los Angeles County applicants only* Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, the California Fair Chance Act, and any other applicable local and state laws.

Any employment agency, person or entity that submits a résumé into this career site or to a hiring manager does so with the understanding that the applicant's résumé will become the property of Niagara Bottling, LLC. Niagara Bottling, LLC will have the right to hire that applicant at its discretion without any fee owed to the submitting employment agency, person or entity. Employment agencies that have fee agreements with Niagara Bottling, LLC and have been engaged on a search shall submit résumé to the designated Niagara Bottling, LLC recruiter or, upon authorization, submit résumé into this career site to be eligible for placement fees. Niagara Bottling, LLC has been family owned and operated since 1963. Niagara is a leading bottled water manufacturer in the U.S., supplying major retailers across the nation. With incredible growth over the past several years, the career possibilities at Niagara are endless! Niagara's culture is fast-paced, innovative and intensely collaborative. Our Team Members are passionate, driven and always find a way to get the job done. We work hard and play hard while staying true to our family atmosphere. From competitive benefits and retirement options to educational reimbursements, ongoing training courses and exciting career advancement opportunities, at Niagara we truly take care of our Team Members. We hope that you consider joining our Niagara family! Niagara Bottling LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, national origin, veteran status or disability in relation to our recruiting, hiring, and promoting practices.