Best Practices, C++ Programming Language, Code Reviews, Debugging Tools, Device Drivers, Documentation, Product/Service Launch, Python Programming/Scripting Language, Quality Assurance Methodology, Refactoring, Robotics, Robotics Software, Software Architecture, Software Engineering, Software Porting, Software Testing, System Architecture, Systems Engineering, Test Automation
Robotics Systems Refactoring Engineering Standards The Role
The robotics software platform works it was built by talented scientists moving at startup speed but it wasn't built to scale. You're the engineer who looks at a functional but fragile codebase and sees the path to something maintainable, modular, and fast. This role is equal parts software architecture and engineering culture: tightening abstractions, migrating hot paths from Python to C++ where the numbers justify it, and raising the bar on how the team writes and reviews code all without breaking what already ships. Day-to-Day Responsibilities
- Conduct deep-dive audits of the existing ROS 2 codebase and drive targeted refactors that improve maintainability, modularity, and runtime performance
- Profile the system to find real bottlenecks, then lead Python-to-C++ migrations for the components where it actually matters
- Define and roll out software engineering standards across the team clean interfaces, automated testing, documentation practices, and a code review culture that sticks
- Eliminate duplication and tighten component boundaries so that other engineers can build on predictable, well-defined modules instead of working around fragile internals
- Work directly with the scientists and engineers who wrote the original code understand what they built and why before changing anything
What You Bring
Core Requirements- At least 7 years building software for robotic systems
- Deep hands-on experience with ROS 2 authoring nodes, orchestrating topic/service/action patterns, and designing clean system architectures
- A systems-level perspective: you're comfortable at the boundary between hardware drivers, real-time control loops, and application-layer software
- Strong Python skills; working proficiency in C++ (able to read, modify, and extend existing codebases confidently)
- Prior experience deploying and debugging software on NVIDIA Jetson platforms (Orin, Xavier, or comparable)
- Self-directed and effective in early-stage, greenfield development environments
Architecture & Software Craft- Exceptional software engineering fundamentals this seat is as much about craft and discipline as it is about robotics domain knowledge
- Proven track record of improving and modernizing legacy or research-grade codebases, not just standing up new projects from scratch
- Fluent in both C++ and Python with the judgment to know when porting between them is worth the cost and when it isn't
- Advanced ROS 2 expertise: node lifecycle management, communication pattern design, composable node architectures, and framework-level best practices
- Experience introducing engineering rigor on teams with mixed backgrounds where not everyone came up through traditional software engineering