Robotics Hardware Integration Engineer

Slip Robotics

$90K — $130K *
Manufacturing & Automotive
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5+ years experience in hardware-software integration for robotics or similar fields
  • Strong proficiency in C++ and Python on Linux
  • Hands-on experience with device drivers and sensors for real hardware
  • Knowledge of communication protocols like CAN, EtherCAT, I2C, SPI
  • Experience with ROS or ROS 2 for integration
  • Familiar with AWS IoT for device management
  • Ability to read schematics and collaborate with engineers

Responsibilities

  • Develop drivers for sensors and actuators on Linux-based platforms
  • Manage communication between compute and hardware subsystems
  • Design hardware abstraction layers for software teams
  • Integrate new sensors and hardware including validation
  • Monitor robot system health and diagnostics
  • Build components for remote device management and updates
  • Collaborate on hardware design to ensure compatibility and manufacturability
  • Manage Linux setups for robotics software
  • Develop CI/CD processes for hardware-software integration testing
  • Support field-robots by resolving integration issues

Benefits

  • Competitive salary and equity in an early-stage robotics company
  • Comprehensive health, dental, and vision benefits
  • Permissive time off policy
  • Impactful role in a small team
  • Work on robots currently in production
Full Job Description
The Role

We are looking for a Robotics Hardware Integration Engineer to own the interface between software and hardware on our robot platforms. This means sensor drivers, motor controllers, embedded communication buses, power management interfaces, and the low-level software that makes the physical robot work. You will be the person who makes sure software commands translate into reliable real-world motion and that sensor data flows cleanly into the perception and navigation stacks.

This is not a pure embedded firmware role and not a pure software role-it sits at the intersection. We need someone who has worked at a robotics company integrating sensors, actuators, and compute hardware into a cohesive system. You should be equally comfortable reading a datasheet, writing a Linux device driver, and debugging a CAN bus trace.
Key Responsibilities
  • Develop and maintain drivers for sensors (LiDAR, cameras, IMUs, encoders) and actuators (motor controllers, hydraulics, pneumatics) on Linux-based robot platforms
  • Own the communication layer between onboard compute and hardware subsystems (CAN bus, EtherCAT, serial, I2C/SPI)
  • Design and implement hardware abstraction layers that give upstream software teams clean, reliable interfaces
  • Integrate new sensors and hardware components as the robot platform evolves, including requirements definition, component selection, bring-up, calibration, and validation
  • Monitor and manage robot system health: power, thermals, hardware diagnostics, and fault handling
  • Build and maintain AWS IoT Greengrass components for fleet-level device management, OTA updates, and cloud telemetry
  • Collaborate with mechanical and electrical engineers on hardware design reviews to ensure manufacturability and software compatibility
  • Manage Linux configurations and setup for robotics software host machines
  • Develop and maintain CI/CD processes for hardware-interfacing software, including hardware-in-the-loop testing where appropriate
  • Support field-deployed robots by diagnosing and resolving hardware-software integration issues

Requirements
  • 5+ years of professional experience in hardware-software integration for robotic systems at a robotics, autonomous vehicle, or industrial automation company
  • Strong proficiency in C++ and Python on Linux platforms
  • Hands-on experience writing and maintaining device drivers and sensor interfaces for real robot hardware
  • Working knowledge of communication protocols: CAN, EtherCAT, serial (RS-232/485), I2C, SPI
  • Experience with ROS or ROS 2 for hardware interface nodes and system integration
  • Familiarity with AWS IoT Core, Greengrass, or similar edge-cloud platforms for fleet device management
  • Ability to read schematics and datasheets and collaborate effectively with electrical engineers
  • Experience debugging hardware issues using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and protocol analyzers
  • Strong communication skills and ability to work across software, electrical, and mechanical teams

Benefits
  • Competitive salary and equity in an early-stage robotics company
  • Comprehensive benefits including health, dental, and vision
  • Permissive time off policy
  • A small team where your work has direct, visible impact on shipped products
  • The chance to work on robots that are operating in production today-not a research project

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