Ghost Robotics · 1 day ago
Robotic Software Engineer - Manipulation
Philadelphia, PA
Full-time
Onsite
Mid, Senior Level
3+ years expGhost Robotics is seeking a Senior Robotics Engineer to design, implement, and deploy manipulation algorithms for robotic systems. The role involves developing task and motion planning, grasping, perception, and control pipelines, ensuring high-performance on hardware in complex environments.
IndustrialMilitaryMiningOil and GasPhysical SecurityPublic SafetyRobotics
Responsibilities
Architect Manipulation Pipelines: Work on the design and implementation of end-to-end manipulation frameworks, from high-level task planning down to perception and low-level joint control
Motion Planning & Optimization: Develop algorithms for trajectory planning and obstacle avoidance, as well as motion generation in a real-time setting
Development of Grasping Algorithms: Implement grasping strategies using a variety of sensors (proprioception, vision) to handle rigid or deformable objects
Sim-to-Real Transfer: Utilize physics-based simulators to develop and validate manipulation policies, ensuring high-fidelity transfer to physical hardware
Software Development and Testing: Write clean and maintainable code in C++ and Python. Also debug and analyze system performance in both simulation and hardware using logs, visualization tools, hardware experiments, and fleet data
System Integration: Collaborate closely with mechanical, perception, embedded, and systems teams to ensure end-to-end performance and robustness
Mentorship: Mentor junior engineers and contribute to long-term architectural decisions
Qualification
Required
Master's or PhD in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field
3+ years of hands-on experience in robotic manipulation, specifically with multi-DOF (Degree of Freedom) arms
Strong foundations in motion planning, control theory and optimization, along with experience in dynamical systems
Deep understanding of coordinate transformations, forward/inverse kinematics, Jacobians, and robot dynamics
Experience with motion planning software tools (e.g., MoveIt, OMPL, or custom optimization-based planners)
Experience with multi-body dynamics, modeling, and simulation (e.g., MuJoCo, Gazebo, Isaac, Bullet/PyBullet)
Experience with ROS 2 and real-time middleware
Proficiency in modern C++ (C++17/20) and Python for development and tooling
Experience with Unix/Linux environments and software engineering best practices (version control, CI/CD)
Preferred
Experience with legged or humanoid robots
Experience applying Reinforcement Learning (RL), Vision Language Models (VLMs) or Vision-Language-Action Models (VLAs) for robotic decision-making and task planning
Familiarity with 3D perception, point cloud processing, and integrating vision-based feedback into manipulation loops
Background in whole-body control frameworks (operational space control, MPC, etc.)
Experience with force-feedback control or “hand-eye” calibration techniques
Publications or significant open-source contributions in robotics or machine learning
Demonstrated ability to lead technical efforts and mentor junior engineers
Company
Ghost Robotics
Robots that Feel the World™ | Quadrupedal Robots (Q-UGV) for Unstructured, Demanding and Continuous-Use Environments
51-200 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Ghost Robotics has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (2)
2024 (2)
2022 (2)
2021 (1)
2020 (2)
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageTotal Funding
$1.45MKey Investors
Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania
2024-07-28Acquired
2021-08-25Seed· $0.45M
2019-03-15Seed
Leadership Team
Gavin Kenneally
Chief Executive Officer
Avik De
CTO
Recent News
2026-02-05
2025-12-12
2025-12-11
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