Hybrid Robotics Engineer – Ground Autonomy

at HavocAI

• Job title: Robotics Engineer – Ground Autonomy
• Job type: Full Time
• Experience level: Mid level, Senior
• Salary: $150,000 - $185,000 per year
• Degree requirement: Bachelor's Degree
• Tech skills: Linux, Python
• Location requirements: Hybrid, Palo Alto, United States

About the role

• Robotics Engineer designing and deploying autonomy systems for unmanned ground vehicles operating in complex environments. Work involves control systems, perception integration, and team collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Own ground autonomy systems deployed to operational platforms
• Deliver reliable, mission-ready autonomy software
• Design and implement control algorithms (path following, trajectory generation, vehicle dynamics modeling)
• Develop motion planning strategies for diverse and dynamic terrains
• Optimize for stability, precision, and safety
• Develop and integrate perception pipelines for obstacle detection, terrain analysis, and environmental understanding
• Fuse heterogeneous sensors (camera, lidar, radar, IMU) into robust autonomy outputs
• Build and extend ROS2-based autonomy stacks
• Implement mission planning, behavior trees, and real-time navigation logic
• Maintain modular, scalable autonomy architecture
• Partner with embedded, hardware, and mission software teams
• Drive autonomy integration from prototype to field deployment
• Develop monitoring and performance metrics for deployed systems
• Diagnose autonomy failures in real-world environments
• Support live testing, demonstrations, and deployments
• Translate operational ground mission needs into autonomy capabilities
• Balance field constraints with technical feasibility

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Robotics, Computer Science, Electrical or Mechanical Engineering (or related field)
• 3+ years of experience in C++ and/or Python in Linux environments
• Hands-on experience deploying ROS2-based autonomy systems on real-world ground platforms
• Experience designing control systems for autonomous vehicles (path planning, trajectory following, vehicle dynamics)
• Experience building perception systems for ground autonomy
• Strong systems-thinking and debugging skills
• Passion for mission-critical real-world robotics
• U.S. Citizenship and eligibility for U.S. security clearance

Benefits

• 100% Employer paid Health, Dental and Vision Insurance for you and your families
• Life Insurance (Employer Paid)
• Ability to participate in the companies 401k program (Matching)
• Unlimited PTO policy with an enforced 2 week minimum
• Equity Package
• Work / Home Office Stipend
• Global Entry
• 16 Week Paid Parental Leave
• Monthly Health and Wellness Stipend