Senior Robotics Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Location :  Sunnyvale, CA (Fully On-site)

About Knightscope

Knightscope designs and operates Autonomous Security Robots (ASRs) that safeguard people and property around the clock. Our fleet of ASRs combines robotics, edge AI, and cloud services to deliver actionable, real‑time intelligence to clients nation‑wide.

Position Summary

The Senior Robotics Engineer leads architecture, algorithm development, and fleet‑level deployment of next‑generation ASR capabilities. You will own ROS 2–based perception, localization, planning, and cloud‑connectivity pipelines, guiding a multi‑disciplinary team to deliver reliable, scalable, and secure autonomy.

Key Responsibilities

• System Architecture & Design – Specify end‑to‑end hardware–software–cloud architectures that meet functional, safety, and regulatory objectives.
• Algorithm R&D → Production – Prototype in Autoware / Gazebo / Ignition or Webots simulators, validate on physical robots, and transition to production‑quality C++ / Python within ROS 2 (Foxy / Humble / Iron).
• Perception & Sensor Fusion – Implement 3D LiDAR, RGB‑D, radar and IMU fusion; develop SLAM, localization, and multi‑modal detection (YOLO, DeepSORT, pose‑estimation).
• Planning & Control – Deploy Nav2 and MoveIt 2 pipelines, real‑time trajectory generation, and behavior trees for autonomous patrol, docking and fail‑safe recovery.
• Edge AI & Analytics – Integrate TensorFlow Lite / ONNX Runtime‑based inference, anomaly detection, and continual‑learning workflows.
• DevOps & Fleet Management – Own CI / CD (GitHub Actions, Jenkins), containerization (Docker, MicroK8s), over‑the‑air (OTA) updates, and telemetry dashboards (Prometheus / Grafana).
• Cybersecurity & Compliance – Champion secure‑by‑design practices (TLS, secure boot, S BOM) and contribute to safety standards (UL 4600, ISO 10218, IEC 61508).
• Leadership – Mentor and task a sub‑team of robotics engineers; conduct design reviews, code reviews, and career development sessions.
• Rapid Troubleshooting – Analyze fleet logs and on‑site issues to restore functionality and feed improvements back into the platform roadmap.

Minimum Qualifications

Education :  Master’s in Robotics, Mechatronics, Electrical / Computer  Engineering, or related field.

Preferred Qualifications

3+ years developing and deploying autonomous mobile robots or other safety‑critical embedded systems.

Technologies You Will Use

Middleware :  ROS 2, micro‑ROS, DDS (Fast DDS, Cyclone), Nav2, MoveIt 2

YOLOv7, edge TPU / NVIDIA Jetson

Physical & Other Requirements

Ability to lift up to 40 lbs and work in warehouse and outdoor test environments.

Knightscope is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.