Chef Robotics is on a mission to accelerate the advent of intelligent machines in the physical world. As the rise of LLMs like ChatGPT has shown AI has the potential to drive immense change. However we believe AIs biggest impact will be in the physical world given industries like manufacturing food and transportation represent 90% of global GDP. Were starting with food with a goal to put an intelligent robot in every commercial kitchen in the world. We have signed multiple multi-year contracts with various large food companies and we are growing fast. Were backed by investors like Kleiner Perkins Construct Bloomberg BETA and Promus Ventures. We have a great team where you will be surrounded by talented engineers and tech leaders from companies like Cruise Zoox Google Verb Surgical Tesla Nuro Vicarious Amazon Robotics Strateos Built Robotics Facebook Plenty Yelp and Microsoft.
About the Role
As a Senior Robotics Software Engineer Test at Chef Robotics youll develop comprehensive testing frameworks and methodologies to validate our robotic control algorithms motion planning safety systems perception pipelines and hardware-software integrations. Youll work across our entire robotics platform with primary focus on robotics systems validation and significant emphasis on perception system testing. This role requires deep technical expertise in both robotics and perception software testing with the ability to architect robust validation frameworks that ensure our robots perform consistently and safely in real-world food production environments while accurately perceiving and responding to their environment.
Robotics Test Framework Development
Design and implement automated testing frameworks for robot motion planning and control systems
Develop advanced evaluation frameworks for core robot behaviors over hundreds of scenarios
Develop advanced validation frameworks for real-time control loop performance and stability across diverse operational conditions
Build sophisticated test harnesses for hardware-software integration validation
Architect simulation environments for testing robotic behavior without physical hardware dependencies
Perception System Testing & Validation
Design and implement comprehensive testing frameworks for computer vision algorithms and perception pipelines
Create automated test suites for object detection segmentation and classification in food production environments
Develop validation systems for camera calibration and depth estimation accuracy
Build test frameworks for lighting condition variations and visual robustness testing
Implement automated testing for ingredient recognition and food property estimation algorithms
Create test scenarios for perception system performance under varying environmental conditions
Advanced Mechanical-Software Integration Testing
Develop test methodologies for validating actuator performance and precision position accuracy
Create automated test systems for calibration procedures and joint-space accuracy validation
Design and implement test fixtures that measure and validate force control and compliance behaviors
Develop comprehensive test cases for evaluating system performance under varying payload and environmental conditions
Create comprehensive test suites for safety-critical protective stop mechanisms and collision detection systems
Implement sophisticated tests for conveyor tracking and synchronization with moving production components
Build validation systems for mechanical system reliability and performance optimization
Robotics-Perception Integration Testing
Create complex test scenarios that validate robot controller consumption and response to perception data
Develop comprehensive test harnesses for end-to-end validation of vision-guided manipulation tasks
Build automated testing systems for calibration between robot coordinate frames and vision systems
Design advanced test cases that stress-test robot behavior under perception uncertainty and edge conditions
Implement robust validation frameworks for real-time coordination between perception and motion planning systems
Create testing protocols for multi-sensor integration and sensor fusion validation
Test Infrastructure & Automation Development
Develop CI/CD pipelines specifically optimized for robotics and perception system testing
Architect hardware-in-the-loop testing infrastructure for comprehensive component validation
Create sophisticated data collection and analysis systems to capture performance metrics and trends
Design scalable test environments that simulate various operational and environmental conditions
Implement advanced automated test reporting visualization and analytics systems
Build testing frameworks that support both simulated and real-world validation scenarios
Required Qualifications - Technical Expertise
Bachelors degree in Robotics Computer Science Computer Vision Mechanical Engineering or related technical field
7 years of professional experience in robotics software development perception systems or testing
Expert-level programming skills in Python with advanced software engineering capabilities
Extensive experience with robotics simulation environments (Gazebo PyBullet MuJoCo or similar)
Strong background in computer vision and perception system development and testing
Deep familiarity with robot control systems motion planning and real-time robotics software
Proven experience with CI/CD pipeline development and test automation frameworks
Advanced understanding of test automation principles methodologies and best practices
Domain Knowledge
Deep understanding of robotics kinematics dynamics and control systems with practical testing experience
Extensive experience with computer vision algorithms image processing and perception pipeline testing
Strong background with industrial robotics collaborative robots or similar automation systems
Advanced knowledge of safety systems in robotics applications and validation methodologies
Comprehensive understanding of hardware-software integration testing for robotics systems
Experience with camera systems calibration procedures and vision-based measurement validation
Knowledge of machine learning model testing and validation in production environments
Personal Attributes
Exceptional problem-solving skills with systematic approach to identifying edge cases and failure modes
Excellence in technical communication and documentation of complex test methodologies and results
Proactive mindset in identifying potential issues and implementing preventive testing solutions
Collaborative approach working effectively with cross-functional development teams
Comfort with working in a fast-paced startup environment with startup-oriented hours
Commitment to working onsite five days a week to contribute to positive in-office culture
Passion for creating robust reliable robotics and perception systems
Desired Qualifications
Experience with ROS (Robot Operating System) and its comprehensive testing frameworks
Advanced knowledge of real-time systems testing and validation methodologies
Experience with OpenCV PCL (Point Cloud Library) and other computer vision libraries
Familiarity with deep learning frameworks (TensorFlow PyTorch) for perception model testing
Experience with force/torque sensing control and testing
Experience with industrial automation or manufacturing systems testing in production environments
Background in food processing equipment testing or production line automation validation
Experience with 3D vision systems point cloud processing and spatial understanding
Familiarity with lighting systems and structured light for industrial vision applications
Startup experience with track record of establishing testing frameworks under tight deadlines
Experience with automated testing of AI/ML components in robotics and perception systems
Key Projects Youll Work On
Developing comprehensive robotics and perception testing frameworks for production deployment validation
Building advanced hardware-in-the-loop testing infrastructure for integrated robotics-perception systems
Creating sophisticated simulation environments for comprehensive behavior validation
Implementing automated testing pipelines for continuous integration of robotics and perception software
Designing validation systems for vision-guided manipulation in food production environments
$150000 - $240000 a year
Chef is an early-stage startup where equity is a major part of the compensation package. As the company secures more capital we will gradually increase salary and cash compensation. The starting salary will depend on seniority.
In addition to salary and early-stage equity we offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical dental and vision insurance commuter benefits flexible paid time off (PTO) catered lunch and 401(k) matching.
Equal Opportunity Employer
We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race religion color sex gender identity and expression sexual orientation national origin ancestry citizen status uniform service member and veteran status marital status age pregnancy status protected medical condition genetic information disability or any other protected status.
Multiple studies have found that a higher percentage of women and BIPOC candidates wont apply if they dont meet every listed qualification. Chef values candidates of all backgrounds. If you find yourself excited by our mission but you dont check every box in the description we encourage you to apply anyway!
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