About this role
Engineers who thrive on solving hard, tangible problems with real-world impact will find a natural home tackling physical automation at Atoms. The team builds Physical AI and real-world robots for critical industries like food, mining, and transport, moving beyond digital software to reshape physical infrastructure.
As the Robotics Lead, you will define the architecture and technical direction of the autonomy stack, working hands-on across AI, perception, planning, controls, and vehicle systems. The role exists to bridge the gap between abstract algorithms and reliable deployment in complex, physical environments, driving difficult challenges from initial architecture straight through to production.
Candidates who excel here possess deep technical expertise in autonomous systems and a proven ability to lead major initiatives across diverse engineering teams. You will collaborate closely with researchers and hardware builders to ensure machines operate at scale, turning complex operations into reliable systems.
What you will do
- Define and drive the overarching technical direction for the robotics and autonomy stack.
- Lead system-level architecture and integration across perception, localization, prediction, planning, controls, and vehicle systems.
- Develop and improve advanced algorithms for motion planning, trajectory generation, decision-making, and vehicle control.
- Diagnose real-world autonomy failures and implement continuous improvements across algorithms, software, sensors, and hardware.
- Establish robust evaluation and validation methodologies connecting component performance directly to vehicle behavior.
- Partner with AI Research and Perception teams to smoothly integrate learned models into the broader autonomy system.
- Collaborate across software, hardware, firmware, simulation, and vehicle engineering teams to bring capabilities into production.
What you need
- Significant hands-on experience developing robotics, autonomous vehicles, or other complex autonomous systems.
- Deep technical expertise in areas such as motion planning, prediction, decision-making, localization, state estimation, controls, or architecture.
- Strong understanding of how perception, planning, localization, controls, and vehicle systems interact within a production autonomy stack.
- Strong programming skills in C++ and/or Python.
- Demonstrated ability to design and debug complex real-time robotic systems while leading major technical initiatives.
- Proven experience taking robotics or autonomy capabilities from initial development through real-world deployment.
- Strong communication skills with the ability to work effectively across highly specialized engineering teams.
Nice to have
- Experience building production autonomous vehicle systems
- Experience with real-time, safety-critical, or highly reliable robotic systems
- Knowledge of vehicle dynamics, sensor systems, and embedded or onboard compute
- Experience with simulation, closed-loop evaluation, and autonomous-system validation
- Experience integrating machine learning models into robotics or autonomy systems
Benefits
- Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability, and Life Insurance
- Flexible Spending Account / Health Savings Account Options
- 401(k) and Equity
- Sick Time, Unlimited Flexible Time Off, and Paid Holidays
- Paid Parental Leave
- Pre-Tax Commuter Benefit Plan
Skills and tech stack
Questions candidates ask
What is the remote work policy for this role?
This role is based in the San Francisco office. All office-based teams work onsite, five days a week.
What is the salary range for the Robotics Lead?
The base salary range for this role is $255,000 - $322,000 per year. Actual compensation is determined on an individual basis and may vary depending on experience, skills, and qualifications.
What additional rewards are included besides base salary?
Base salary is just one part of the total rewards package, and you may also be eligible for equity awards. Additionally, the company provides a comprehensive benefits summary for USA full-time exempt employees.
What does the team actually build at Atoms?
Atoms builds Physical AI and real-world robots for industries that move civilization forward, starting with food, mining, and transport. The systems are designed to understand, predict, and control the real world with precision.
The application is on the official ATOMS Careers page careers page.
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