Want to know if this job is worth applying to?
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Hybrid
About this role:
Pickle is on the hunt for a dynamic and driven Principal Motion Planning Engineer to revolutionize the future of warehouse automation. As the most senior individual contributor on the motion planning team, you will own the technical vision and architecture for the planning, manipulation, navigation, and control software that powers Pickle's autonomous unload robots. You will take on our hardest algorithmic problems — from sample-based and trajectory-optimization planners to contact-aware control and autonomous recovery — set engineering standards across the robotics organization, and multiply the team's impact through deep technical leadership rather than direct people management.
Own the technical vision and architecture of Pickle's motion planning and controls stack for manipulation, navigation, and safety-critical control of the unload robot
Take on the hardest algorithmic problems in planning and control — sample-based planning (e.g., RRT), path and trajectory optimization, numerical/nonlinear optimization, and contact-aware control — and turn research prototypes into production systems
Set engineering standards and technical strategy across the robotics organization, driving high-stakes technical decisions that unblock major customers and multi-year roadmaps
Act as a force multiplier through deep technical mentorship — raising the bar for the whole team, reviewing designs, and guiding engineers on the toughest problems without direct people management
Define and maintain the architecture, interfaces, and system documentation for the full planning and controls stack so the team can move faster and scale
Analyze field failure cases and partner across engineering, test, and on-site deployment teams to design robust autonomous recovery that measurably improves reliability
Establish regression tests, benchmarks, and success metrics that keep regressions away from customers and focus the team on the highest-impact work
Write production-grade Python and C++ for real-time, safety-critical robotics, personally shipping the highest-leverage and highest-risk components
8+ years building robotics software, with a sustained record of designing and shipping complex systems as a senior individual contributor; deep graduate robotics/controls research experience counts toward this
Expert-level, hands-on experience developing motion planning and control for real-world robots — manipulation, navigation, or locomotion — in safety-critical, real-time production systems
Exceptional technical communication; able to set org-wide technical strategy, write clear architecture and design docs, and influence engineering, product, and executive stakeholders without formal authority. Professional fluency in English
Mastery of motion planning and controls: sample-based planning (e.g., RRT), path and trajectory optimization, numerical/nonlinear optimization, optimal and contact-aware control; expert-level Python and C++
None required. A strong foundation in robotics, controls, computer science, mechanical engineering, or a related quantitative field is expected
ROS/ROS2, Python and C++ toolchains, Git, Linux, and numerical optimization libraries; experience architecting testing/CI and benchmarking for robotics
Deep technical ownership, sound judgment on high-stakes tradeoffs, a force-multiplier mindset, strong failure-analysis instincts, and a collaborative, low-ego approach
Hybrid — Boston, MA area, with regular on-site work and occasional travel to customer deployment sites
Full-time, with occasional schedule flexibility to support on-site deployments, demos, and testing
