Robotics & Automation Systems Engineer

Job Description

The Robotics and Automation Systems Engineer supports and helps drive the robotics and autonomy work behind automation deployments across the organization. This role spans a broad range of robotics and automation projects, including fixed/stationary robotic systems (e.g., robotic arms, cobots), mobile/autonomous systems (e.g., AGVs/AMRs, autonomous forklifts, and navigation), palletizing and material-handling applications, and adjacent technologies.

This role assesses sites, programs and integrates robotic systems, commissions systems in live warehouse environments, and troubleshoots deployed automation in production. This role supports robotics and autonomy work from assessment through resolution, and works closely with the Controls & Mechatronics Engineer, operations leadership, and robot OEMs or system integrators to keep robotic and autonomous systems running reliably in a live, production-critical environment.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Program, integrate, and commission robotic systems — including industrial robot arms (e.g., FANUC, ABB, KUKA, Rokae, Universal Robots) and mobile/autonomous platforms — for palletizing, material handling, and related applications.
• Own perception, localization, and navigation for autonomous systems, including LiDAR, SLAM, path planning, and obstacle avoidance.
• Integrate sensors (LiDAR, cameras, IMU) and apply sensor fusion as needed across robotic platforms.
• Integrate robotic and autonomous systems with PLCs, safety systems, conveyors, WCS/WES/WMS, or fleet-management platforms, coordinating with the Controls & Mechatronics Engineer and other automation team members on shared electrical and controls interfaces.
• Develop and maintain production-quality robotics software (C++/Python) following standard engineering practices (version control, code review, and testing), and support fleet/robot diagnostics and telemetry.
• Support the application of physical AI techniques — machine learning-driven perception, decision-making, and adaptive robot behavior — to real-world automation problems where practical, in coordination with more specialized resources as needed.
• Support site assessments, commissioning, acceptance testing, and production troubleshooting, prioritizing minimal disruption to live operations and supporting equipment-uptime and service-level targets.
• Document system architecture, safety assumptions, and standard operating procedures for deployed systems.
• Coordinate with robot OEMs and system integrators throughout deployment, commissioning, and warranty periods, including holding vendors accountable to timelines and performance specifications
• Communicate technical progress, system performance, and project status clearly to operations leadership and other non-technical stakeholders
• Stay current on and help evaluate emerging automation and robotics technologies. 

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Robotics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience
• 3+ years of combined hands-on experience with industrial robotics/fixed robotic systems (programming and cell integration) and/or autonomous mobile robotics (AGVs/AMRs, perception, and localization, e.g., LiDAR/SLAM, ROS 2/Nav2 or equivalent); strong depth in at least one domain is required, with working knowledge of the other
• Strong C++/Python skills and Linux experience
• Practical understanding of industrial safety principles for human-robot shared environments, including familiarity with relevant robot/mobile-robot safety standards (e.g., ANSI/A3 R15.06, ISO 3691-4, or equivalent)
• Experience in logistics, warehousing, or industrial automation environments.
• Travel expected to assess robotics and automation opportunities and support initiatives and projects across the organization.

Preferred

• Hands-on experience applying physical AI — machine learning-based perception (e.g., OpenCV, PyTorch), decision-making, or adaptive control — to real-world robotic or automation systems.
• Experience with robot fleet management (e.g., Locus, 6 River, Fetch, Geek+), WCS/WES/WMS integration, or industrial networking (EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, etc.)
• OSHA 10/30 or equivalent safety certification
• Experience with dedicated 3D or machine-vision systems (e.g., Cognex, Keyence, Photoneo) for robotic guidance, picking, or inspection applications, beyond general camera integration
• Experience with robot simulation or offline programming tools (e.g., RoboDK, RobotStudio, Process Simulate, Gazebo, NVIDIA Isaac Sim) for cell design, testing, or validation prior to live commissioning
• Experience with telemetry, data pipelines, or observability tooling (e.g., time-series databases, dashboards such as Grafana) supporting robot or fleet diagnostics

Location: Mount Vernon/Evansville, IN or Greenville, SC