Senior Associate, Robotics Software Engineer at HITT Contracting

The Research & Development Department's mission is to set the industry standard by finding new materials, methods, and technology to change the built environment and how we work. We are looking for dynamic, innovative, and passionate team members to join us in our movement to change our industry.

The R&D Robotics Software Engineer will be responsible for developing and deploying autonomous robotics solutions that must operate reliably in challenging real-world environments. This team member will support robotics initiatives from concept through completion and coordinate across interdisciplinary teams, including project teams, consultants, hardware developers, software developers, subcontractors, and suppliers. This team member will report to the R&D Robotics Lead and serve on an interdisciplinary team conducting research and developing novel robotics solutions for construction.

The ideal candidate will excel at the intersection of robotics and construction, will be highly organized, and capable of working independently to execute complex projects. They will lead the robotics software development efforts with a focus on advancing the reliability and maturity of autonomy and perception in highly complex, highly dynamic environments. They will routinely collaborate with external partners to integrate capabilities, address gaps in functionality, and align development roadmaps. Candidates should be passionate about both robotics and construction, able to learn outside of their trained competency quickly, and excited to roll up their sleeves when needed. Key to this position are strong written and verbal communication skills, project management skills, creative thinking, relationship management, and meticulous attention to detail. Most importantly, candidates should be curious and excited about operating in new territory without fear of failure.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of the robotics software stack including the autonomy, perception, localization, and navigation subsystems.

• Lead our collaboration and software integration efforts with external partners.

• Lead the advancement of reliability and maturity of various robotics use cases, with a particular focus on reliable autonomy in complex and dynamic environments.

• Support the development of intuitive user interfaces and automated data analysis workflows.

• Support testing of robotics solutions in the field, identify improvements, and support project teams as they integrate robotics into jobsite workflows.

• Support tracking project scopes, budgets, goals, and key success metrics.

• Support the management of project budgets, data analysis, and lessons learned to drive meaningful insights and improvements in the business.

• Build relationships across operations, site operations, and subcontractors to understand their needs, develop goals, and ensure that robotics initiatives are aligned to the needs of our project teams.

• Act as brand ambassador for the firm, representing the company in industry and professional organizations.

Qualifications

• US Citizenship (as required by several of HITT's Federal Government clients).

• Bachelor's degree (BA/BS) in robotics, computer science, mechatronics, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or related field.

• Master's degree or 2 years of experience.

• Experience developing robotic systems that have been deployed in challenging real-world environments.

• Experience in mobile robot sensing, perception, localization, navigation, and networking for ground and/or aerial robots.

• Experience with C++, Python, Robot Operating System (ROS) or other related programming languages.

• Experience with robotics simulation environments (e.g., Gazebo, NVIDIA Isaac SIM, Unity).

• Fluency in version control systems (e.g., Git).

• Experience working with a wide variety of stakeholders and strong interpersonal skills.

• Must be a self-starter, highly motivated, and able to work independently.

• Detail-oriented, organized, and able to prioritize tasks across multiple projects.

• Ability to effectively communicate complex technical topics in written and verbal formats to various audiences.

• Additional experience preferred in designing, fabricating, integrating, and/or maintaining robotic hardware and sensor payloads.