Full Job Description
ARA's Engineering Science Division is seeking a highly skilled and innovative robotics engineer to join our team. The ideal candidate will have a strong foundation in C++, Java Script, and Python development, coupled with experience in robotics. This full-stack role involves developing robust frontend and backend software for virtual simulation.
This is an on-site position located in San Antonio, TX.
U.S. citizenship is required. Candidates selected may be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.
What you will do as a principal robotics engineer:
- Architect, develop, and maintain backend systems using C++, Python, ROS/ROS2, and containerized deployment environments (Docker).
- Implement scalable and maintainable build and CI/CD workflows using Git and automated pipelines.
- Develop front-end user interfaces and tools using JavaScript, Java-based GUI frameworks, REST APIs, and cloud-based technologies.
- Design and implement APIs and data exchange layers supporting simulation systems, autonomy behaviors, and sensor modeling.
- Contribute to high-fidelity simulation environments representing UUV dynamics, environmental conditions, sensor modalities, and mission workflows.
- Collaborate with autonomy and systems engineers to integrate perception, navigation, and control capabilities.
- Perform code reviews, mentor junior developers, and contribute to software engineering best practices.
- Troubleshoot and optimize software performance across distributed systems and heterogeneous hardware environments.
- Build and deploy containerized applications using Docker in development and production environments.
Principal robotics engineer requirements:
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field.
- 12+ years of experience. Advanced degree may serve in partial fulfillment of the experience requirement.
- Expert-level proficiency in C++, Python, and JavaScript for backend and frontend systems development.
- Demonstrated experience with robotics software stacks including ROS/ROS2, simulation environments, and sensor or autonomy integration.
- Demonstrated experience designing and maintaining APIs, CI/CD pipelines, and distributed system architectures.
- Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills across complex software and hardware environments.
Preferred experience:
- Azure cloud services and cloud-native application development.
- Jira and Confluence for project tracking, documentation, and Agile workflow management.
- Experience building software for scalability, modularity, and long-term maintainability.
- Knowledge of physics-based modeling, environmental simulation, or digital twin concepts.
