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Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Staff Software Engineer - Humanoid Controls - **Company:** Apptronik Inc. - **Location:** Mountain View, CA, United States - **Experience:** Experienced - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Board Bringup, C++ (Programming Language), Code Review, Python (Programming Language), Kinematics, Robotic Automation Software, Software Engineering, Reinforcement Learning - **Published:** August 4, 2026 - **Apply:** https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=d2ac03ced5c7ae97 ## About the Role * Deep robotics fundamentals: kinematics, dynamics, state estimation, and optimization/control theory. * Proven expertise in whole-body control (WBC/OSC, QP-based control, or MPC) for floating-base (legged) or mobile (wheeled) systems. * Hands-on experience with learning-based control / reinforcement learning applied to robotics (training in simulation). * Breadth across robot control problems - mobile manipulation, dexterity / hand control, and teleoperation - and the versatility to move between them. * Strong software engineering: real-time C++ and Python for robotic systems. * Industry experience developing production-grade controllers, including hands-on experience validating or deploying algorithms on physical robot hardware. * Preferred: shipping controllers to a production fleet or to market at scale; dexterous / in-hand manipulation; legged locomotion; or safety-critical / certified software (ISO 13849, 10218, IEC 61508). EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE * MS or PhD in Robotics, CS, EE, ME, or a related field (or equivalent experience). * 8+ years of relevant industry experience (or 4+ with a PhD) in robot controls, with a track record of getting controllers working on physical hardware. PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: * Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer * Must be able to lift 15 pounds at times * Vision to read printed materials and a computer screen * Hearing and speech to communicate * This is a direct hire. Please, no outside Agency solicitations. ## Description Apptronik is building robots for the real world - to improve human quality of life and help solve the ever-increasing labor shortage. As a Staff Software Engineer - Humanoid Controls, you will be a senior technical force multiplier on our Motion Control & Planning team - the person who raises the quality of our robotics stack and moves to wherever the hardest problem is. Your scope spans whole-body control for our wheeled-base platform and our biped, learning-based hand control, mobile manipulation, and teleoperation - translating state-of-the-art controls and learning into real capability while setting technical direction for the team., * Raise the quality of the overall controls stack - architecture, algorithms, real-time performance, testing, and long-term maintainability. * Advance whole-body control across our platforms - the wheeled-base robot and the biped - coordinating the base or legs with upper-body manipulation. * Flex across the stack to the highest-impact problems - e.g. learning-based hand control (RL in simulation), mobile manipulation, teleoperation, and estimation. * Translate state-of-the-art model-based and learning-based methods into robust capability, from simulation through hardware bring-up and deployment. * Expand the robot's performance envelope - speed, payload, reliability, and safety - with measurable, defensible improvements. * Set technical direction across the controls stack, influencing the roadmap and bringing adjacent teams (locomotion, manipulation, teleoperation, RL, estimation) along. * Mentor engineers and multiply team capability through design reviews, code reviews, and best practices. * Collaborate cross-functionally with hardware, systems, and RL teams to co-develop solutions and diagnose system-level issues. ## Related Videos - [How I built my own intelligent Robot Arm from Scratch](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100097-how-i-built-my-own-intelligent-robot-arm-from-scratch) - [Robots are coming into the wild! 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