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Senior Manager, Robotic Systems Software Engineering

230k – 300kEmeryville, CASanta Clara, CAEngineering ManagementOnsite10+ YOE
Summary

Leads architecture and development of system-level software for robotic manufacturing nodes, orchestrating motion, vision, sensing, and IO subsystems for stable production. Requires 10+ years in automation/robotics, 5+ years managing teams, and expertise in deterministic orchestration and hardware-integrated systems.

About the role

What You’ll Do

  • Lead the design and implementation of the robotic systems software stack, including deterministic workflow engines and sequencing logic across motion, vision, sensing, and IO subsystems.
  • Lead node bring-up from hardware integration through production stabilization, ensuring safe, recoverable, and repeatable behavior.
  • Drive and uphold engineering standards for fault detection, classification, automated recovery, and safe-state transitions.
  • Implement robust telemetry, structured logging, and time-synchronized diagnostics to enable rapid root-cause analysis.
  • Remain hands-on in design and code reviews, and occasionally in implementation for critical systems.
  • Partner cross-functionally with mechanical, electrical, robotics, manufacturing, and infrastructure teams to ensure tight system integration.
  • Own delivery and technical direction for a set of production nodes or subsystems.
  • Hire, develop, and lead a high-performing team with strong technical standards and accountability.

What You’ll Need

  • 10+ years of experience building complex automation or robotic systems, including 5+ years leading engineering teams.
  • Demonstrated expertise designing deterministic orchestration systems or explicit state machines in production environments.
  • Strong understanding of concurrency, event ordering, idempotency, and failure recovery in hardware-integrated systems.
  • Experience transitioning robotic or automation platforms from prototype to stable, production-grade operation.
  • Experience building or leveraging observability systems for complex, hardware-integrated software.
  • Working knowledge of real-time motion or embedded control systems and how to architect clean separation between real-time and non-real-time layers.
  • Proven track record hiring, coaching, and scaling strong engineering teams.
  • Strong systems-level reasoning across hardware and software domains.
  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or equivalent work experience.

Compensation: Salary Range $230,000—$300,000 USD. Also includes equity and benefits.

Skills
deterministic workflow enginesstate machinesconcurrencyevent orderingidempotencyfailure recoveryobservability systemstelemetrystructured loggingreal-time motion controlembedded control systemsfault detectionautomated recoveryrobotics softwareproduction orchestration
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