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Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Lead Software Engineer - Dexterous Manipulation - **Company:** Apptronik Inc. - **Location:** Austin, TX, United States - **Experience:** Expert - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Board Bringup, 3D Scanning, Computer Vision, C++ (Programming Language), Code Review, Hardware Design, Python (Programming Language), Kinematics, Software Engineering, Reinforcement Learning, Virtual Environment, Information Technology - **Published:** May 19, 2026 - **Apply:** https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=0c67c44d13cc854d ## About the Role * Dexterous Manipulation: Deep expertise in multi-fingered hand control, grasp planning, and in-hand manipulation, with a strong track record of successful hardware deployment. * Advanced Control & Learning: Proficiency in learning-based control for robotics (e.g. flow/diffusion-based visiomotor policies, reinforcement learning, reward modeling, etc.). * Software Engineering: Proficiency in Python, with experience building real-time robotic software stacks. * Simulation Environments: Experience with physics engines such as IsaacSim, MuJoCo, or Drake for policy training and validation., * Robotic Kinematics: Strong foundation in spatial transformations, Jacobian-based control, and constrained optimization. * Teleoperation: Experience with VR/haptic interfaces and retargeting algorithms for human-in-the-loop control. * Tactile Sensing: Experience integrating tactile/haptic feedback into manipulation pipelines. * Computer Vision: Familiarity with 6D pose estimation, point cloud processing, or visual-servoing. * Hardware Bring-up: Experience with the initial calibration and tuning of high-DOF robotic end-effectors., * BS/MS/PhD in Robotics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field. * 5+ years of relevant experience (or 3+ years with a PhD) specifically focused on robotic manipulation or complex motion control. * A proven track record of taking complex algorithms from a research/simulation environment and successfully deploying them on physical hardware. * This is a direct hire. Please, no outside Agency solicitations. ## Description The Lead Software Engineer - Dexterous Manipulation is a core contributor to our robot's ability to interact with the world with human-like precision. This role is responsible for leading the development of learning-based dexterous control algorithms that unlock the full potential of state-of-the-art robotic hand hardware., * Strategic Ownership: Serve as the technical authority for dexterous manipulation. Create the long-term technical roadmap, ensuring hand control and multi-fingered coordination capabilities outpace industry standards. * Architectural Definition: Design and enforce the foundational software frameworks for manipulation. Own the decision-making process for balancing autonomous logic with high-fidelity teleoperation, ensuring the architecture is scalable for future hardware generations. * Research & Innovation: Perform and direct the integration of state-of-the-art research. Select and deploy the specific learning-based policies and vision-integrated systems that will define system physical capabilities. * Sim-to-Real Ownership: Lead the strategy for high-fidelity simulation. Set the standards for success in virtual environments to optimize policy transitions to physical fleet hardware. * Hardware Design Influence: Drive the specifications for next-generation hardware. Define the requirements for sensing, degrees of freedom, and torque profiles. * Production Excellence: Oversee the transition from experimental research to fleet-wide deployment. Ensure performance and reliability of C++/Python code running on production-level assets. * Technical Leadership & Culture: Act as a force multiplier across the organization. Beyond code reviews, foster a culture of technical rigor, setting the bar for architectural excellence and mentoring the next generation of robotics leaders. ## 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! Full-Stack Robotics Engineers, be ready!](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/479-robots-are-coming-into-the-wild-full-stack-robotics-engineers-be-ready) - [AI Space Factories, Hacking Self-Driving Cars & Detecting Deepfakes](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1812-ai-space-factories-hacking-self-driving-cars-detecting-deepfakes) - [Are Code Reviews Worth It? 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