Principal Software Engineer – Robotic Arms Specialist

Full-time (contract to hire or direct hire)

Location: New Milford, CT (on site)

Experience: 5+ years in relevant field

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Robotics, or a related field.
• Experience in Agile development or Agile Manufacturing.
• Proficiency in managing complex projects in GitHub.
• Fluency in Rust/C/C++/Python (or willingness to learn Rust).
• Experience developing and integrating software with ROS
• Experience with continuous integration and improvement aligned with Agile Manufacturing.
• Knowledge of robotics and autonomy, Linux, and embedded software.
• Proven experience working with robotic arms; experience with drones is a plus.
• Strong understanding of robotics principles, including kinematics, dynamics, and control theory.
• Experience in motion planning and localizing multiple objects in 3D space.
• Implementation of inverse kinematics solvers.
• Ability to develop robotic systems from scratch and program the robotic arm.
• Comfortable working within small teams, with a knack for quick, open-ended problem-solving, and rapid iteration.
• A compassionate, collaborative attitude with a willingness to fail fast, without ego.
• Critical and analytical thinking – our engineering problems are complex but fun to solve.

Job Overview: We are seeking a Robotic Arm Software Specialist to lead the development efforts for a groundbreaking Robotic Arm system designed to launch and recover drones from moving platforms. This role involves redesigning and optimizing the current system to transition from an R&D lab prototype to a highly reliable field-operable system. As a technical lead, you will mentor younger robotics engineers, guiding them through coding and code architecture

objectives. With proven success, this position offers exceptional upward mobility, including the potential to advance to the CTO role. If youre eager to join a rapidly growing startup with immense opportunities for growth, we want to hear from you.

Company Overview: Our Client is a cutting-edge Connecticut-based robotics and autonomy firm dedicated to delivering autonomous launch and recovery of both rotary and fixed-wing drones from any moving vehicle, regardless of weather conditions. Our innovative solutions serve both commercial and military applications, revolutionizing the integration of drones with planes, trains, cars, trucks, and ships. We are committed to pushing the boundaries of engineering and manufacturing world-class systems. Our team is driven by passion, curiosity, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. We actively seek diverse backgrounds and experiences to foster breakthrough innovation and build a team that reflects a variety of cultures, skills, and perspectives. If you’re enthusiastic about advancing the next evolution in aviation, we encourage you to apply.

Duties and Expectations: We are looking for a passionate roboticist with expertise in developing complex systems and leading a multidisciplinary team. As the Principal Software Engineer, you will set the overall direction, create and manage realistic goals and schedules, and recruit and evaluate new team members. You should have a strong background in modern software development, experience managing complex projects in GitHub, knowledge of

automated testing and continuous integration systems, fluency in C/C++/Python (and a willingness to learn Rust), and an understanding of soft-real-time safety-critical distributed systems.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assess the current state of our progress.
• Understand and help plan for our current 2-year army contract.
• Mentor, hire, and work day-to-day with a robotics software team that you will help build.
• Develop algorithms to optimize robotic arm movements to track drones in flight.
• Integrate motion planning algorithms to avoid singularities, awkward joint positions, erratic arm behaviors, and collisions with obstacles.
• Incorporate a high Hertz rate localization system into arm movements.
• Optimize arm movement algorithms considering external forces such as turning, bumps, and sea states.
• Set sprint tasks for the team and optimize tasks during daily stand-up meetings.
• Interface with arm suppliers and providers to choose the appropriate arm system for our application.
• Help design the system from a full-stack perspective with end-users in mind (e.g. cognitive load, user safety, user interaction, etc.).
• Serve as the technical lead in the architecture, design, implementation, and deployment of next-generation robotic and automation systems.
• Contribute intellectual property through patents.
• Work with Project Managers to create plans of action for creating new software.
• Assist with system integration, testing strategy, and documentation.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience creating simulations around robotic systems
• Networking in a Linux environment (TCP/IP, UDP)
• Experience creating software deployment pipelines utilizing AWS EC2