Robotics Software Engineer - Scientific Physical AI Platform

Location: San Francisco

Compensation: $150,000 – $210,000

We are a mission-driven company using AI, robotics, and biology to accelerate life science research, with the ultimate goal of eradicating disease. We are building a Scientific Physical AI platform that helps scientists scale their lab work and generate orders of magnitude more data. We are looking for a Robotics Software Engineer to build highly robust and performant solutions that redefine laboratory automation.

You will be instrumental in bridging complex biological processes with physical automation. This role is deeply hands-on, focused on robust manipulation and control of laboratory equipment. You will be expected to work directly with scientists, translate their biological needs into engineering requirements, and deliver production-ready software solutions in a dynamic, high-stakes environment.

In this role, you will:

• Develop Robotic Solutions: Design and develop software to manipulate and control biology tools originally designed for humans.
• Motion Planning: Develop and implement advanced motion planning algorithms to ensure collision avoidance in a complex and dynamic physical environment.
• Computer Vision: Utilize computer vision techniques to accurately interact with laboratory consumables and equipment.
• Integration & Deployment: Integrate, test, and debug software solutions both in simulation and directly on physical robots.
• Customer Partnership: Work with partner scientists at customer labs to understand their pain points, ideate creative solutions, and guide implementation and deployment.
• Robustness & Scalability: Focus on high robustness and performance, while consistently identifying opportunities for system simplification and design for scalability.

Requirements

• Experience: 4+ years of experience designing and building algorithms for robotics systems.
• Manipulation Focus: Relevant research/work experience in robotics manipulation, specifically in one or more of the following: motion planning and trajectory optimization, kinematics and dynamics, and control.
• Programming: Proficient in Python.
• Engineering Practice: Experience with software engineering tools and best practices in a production environment.
• Education: BS/MS/Ph.D. in Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent experience.
• Mindset: A hacker’s mindset (getting quickly to a good-enough solution) and a willingness to wear many hats / a flexible attitude toward responsibilities.

Preferred Qualifications (Bonus Points):

• Experience with robotic simulation systems such as PyBullet or MuJoCo.
• Experience with robotics in a laboratory or manufacturing environment.
• Familiarity with mechanical design tools (e.g., Solidworks) and software communication protocols (ZMQ, Redis, gRPC, etc…).
• Contribution to software for a hardware product that has successfully shipped.

Benefits

• Compensation: Competitive salary range of $150,000 – $210,000 (Based on experience and qualifications), plus Competitive Equity.
• Location: 100% On-site role in our San Francisco office (relocation benefits available). We do not offer hybrid roles.
• Impact: Foundational role in building a Physical AI platform with the ultimate goal of eradicating disease and accelerating life science discovery.
• Team & Culture: Join a small, high-density team of mission-driven engineers from top tech companies (e.g., Tesla, SpaceX), focused on ownership, technical excellence, and rapid execution.
• Visa: Visa sponsorship is available for exceptional candidates.

Due to the high volume of applications we anticipate, we regret that we are unable to provide individual feedback to all candidates. If you do not hear back from us within 4 weeks of your application, please assume that you have not been successful on this occasion. We genuinely appreciate your interest and wish you the best in your job search.

Commitment to Equality and Accessibility:

At MLabs, we are committed to offer equal opportunities to all candidates. We ensure no discrimination, accessible job adverts, and providing information in accessible formats. Our goal is to foster a diverse, inclusive workplace with equal opportunities for all. If you need any reasonable adjustments during any part of the hiring process or you would like to see the job-advert in an accessible format please let us know at the earliest opportunity by emailing human-resources@mlabs.city.

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