Robotics Perception Engineer- Build the software that turns sensors into intelligent robots

Robotics Perception Engineer- Build the software that turns sensors into intelligent robots.

Greater Boston (On-site)

$140,000–$200,000 + Equity

Most perception engineering roles focus on algorithms.

This one is about making robots work in the real world.

We're partnering with a fast-growing robotics company that's entering a pivotal stage of its journey, moving from startup to scale-up after significant investment and commercial success.

Their robots already operate in production environments. Now they're looking for an engineer to own one of the most critical parts of the stack: the perception pipeline that transforms raw sensor data into reliable, real-time intelligence.

This isn't a research role.

It's an engineering role.

If you enjoy building robust systems, debugging complex hardware-software interactions and seeing robots perform reliably in the real world, you'll feel right at home.

What you'll own

You'll take ownership of the perception infrastructure powering the company's next-generation robots.

Working directly with technical leadership, you'll build and maintain the complete pipeline that connects real-world sensors to intelligent robotic behaviour.

That includes:

• Building high-performance sensor pipelines processing multiple RGBD cameras and 3D LiDARs in real time.
• Converting raw sensor data into accurate point clouds and representations consumed by operators and AI models.
• Ensuring sensor data is captured, validated and stored for downstream model training.
• Debugging complex issues across cameras, LiDAR, robotics hardware and application software.
• Deploying and supporting perception systems on robots operating in customer environments.
• Improving reliability, performance and scalability across the perception stack.

The engineer we're looking for

You're more builder than researcher.

You've worked directly with real robots.

You've connected sensors, integrated hardware, chased difficult bugs and taken responsibility for getting the whole system working, not just your individual component.

You naturally move between software, hardware and systems thinking.

You're comfortable stepping outside your specialist area when the problem demands it.

You enjoy understanding how everything fits together.

You might recognise yourself here

• You've integrated cameras, LiDARs or other sensors into production robotic systems.
• You've debugged problems that crossed software, hardware and networking boundaries.
• You've worked in robotics, autonomous vehicles, defence robotics, industrial automation or another environment where reliability matters.
• You've owned systems end-to-end rather than a single isolated module.
• You're happiest solving practical engineering problems instead of purely theoretical ones.
• You enjoy shipping reliable software that controls real machines.

Technical experience

We're interested in engineers with experience across several of the following:

• C++
• Python
• RGBD Cameras
• LiDAR
• Point Cloud Processing
• Sensor Calibration
• SLAM
• ROS
• Sensor Fusion
• Embedded Robotics Systems

You don't need experience with every technology.

What matters is your ability to understand complex systems and solve problems wherever they exist.

What makes someone successful here

The strongest engineers on this team don't stay inside their lane.

They're naturally curious.

They branch into unfamiliar technical areas.

They enjoy understanding how the entire robot works rather than becoming experts in a single component.

They're comfortable working across hardware, embedded systems, perception software and production deployments to deliver reliable outcomes.

If you've spent years owning only one small part of a large robotics platform, this probably isn't the environment you're looking for.

If you're the engineer who naturally volunteers to solve the problems nobody else wants to touch, you'll fit in well.

Why this opportunity is different

You'll join at a defining stage in the company's growth, where your work will directly influence how future robotic platforms are built and deployed.

You'll work alongside founders and technical leaders with deep robotics expertise, solving difficult engineering problems with the freedom to take ownership and make meaningful technical decisions.

This is a rare opportunity to build systems that don't just run in simulation, they operate in the real world, where reliability, performance and engineering judgement genuinely matter.

If you enjoy building robots that have to work every single day, we'd love to hear from you.

Please note: I'll be on annual leave until 17th August, so if you apply while I'm away, your application will be reviewed and I'll be in touch as soon as possible after I return. Thank you for your patience.