Senior Member of Technical Staff: Hardware Integration, Sensing, and Control in Cambridge

Position Summary:

You will own the software-level interface between hardware and the rest of the robot—integrating sensors, actuators, and compute into a coherent, reliable platform that the higher-level stack can depend on. You'll bring up new hardware, build the drivers and data pipelines that expose it cleanly to the system, and implement the low-level control and sensing software that makes our robots move and perceive. This role is less about firmware on bare metal and more about the systems-software layer that turns a pile of components into a robot: reliable interfaces, clean abstractions, solid real-time behavior, and the tooling to keep it all working in the field.

Core Responsibilities:

• Hardware Integration & Bring-Up: Lead the software-side integration of new sensors, actuators, and compute hardware—from driver development and interface design through system-level commissioning.
• Low-Level Control: Design, implement, and tune real-time control loops for robot joints and actuators, with a focus on performance, safety, and determinism.
• Sensor Pipeline Development: Build and maintain reliable, low-latency data pipelines for cameras (GMSL), LiDARs, IMUs, force/torque sensors, and other peripherals.
• Real-Time Systems: Develop the low-level software that runs on our compute platforms, including NVIDIA Jetson targets, ensuring tight hardware/software co-optimization at the systems-software layer.
• EtherCAT & Fieldbus Communication: Implement and maintain EtherCAT-based communication stacks for real-time servo and I/O integration; debug and optimize fieldbus timing and topology.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with AI and software infrastructure teams to define interfaces and ensure hardware capabilities are fully exposed to the broader robotics stack.
• Diagnostics & Reliability: Develop tools for hardware-in-the-loop testing, sensor calibration, system diagnostics, and field debugging of deployed robots.

Required Qualifications:

• Hardware Integration Background: Proven experience integrating sensors and actuators into robotic or other complex electromechanical systems at the software level.
• Systems Software Expertise: Strong C/C++ skills, with experience writing drivers, HALs, or systems software on embedded Linux.
• Real-Time Control: Hands-on experience designing and tuning real-time control loops (torque, velocity, position) with an understanding of control theory fundamentals.
• EtherCAT Experience: Practical experience bringing up an EtherCAT master/slave stack for real-time motor control or I/O; familiarity with tools such as Acontis, TwinCAT, or equivalent.
• NVIDIA Jetson Platforms: Experience bringing up and optimizing software on Jetson AGX, Orin, or similar SoC platforms, including CUDA integration, device tree configuration, and peripheral bring-up.
• Camera & Sensor Integration: Experience with GMSL or similar camera interfaces; comfort working with V4L2, GStreamer, or camera SDK pipelines.
• System Debugging: Strong ability to debug across the hardware/software boundary using serial consoles, logic analyzers, and Linux debugging tools.
• Python & C++ Workflows: Fluency in both languages across the development stack.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with additional fieldbus or real-time communication protocols (CAN, CANopen, RS-485, SPI, I2C, etc.).
• Experience with CUDA, NVENC, or other GPU-accelerated sensor processing pipelines.
• Exposure to perception sensor calibration (camera intrinsics/extrinsics, IMU-camera alignment, LiDAR-camera fusion).
• Familiarity with hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) and software-in-the-loop (SIL) testing methodologies.
• Experience with safety-critical or certified embedded systems (IEC 61508, ISO 13849, or similar).

Walden Robotics offers a competitive total compensation program, including salary, annual cash bonus, company equity, company-subsidized insurance programs, 401(k) with company match, flexible PTO, daily lunch, and other benefits. The pay ranges noted on our posts are for salary only.

Walden Robotics is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request to hello@waldenrobotics.com.

Walden Robotics participates in E-Verify. If you receive an offer of employment from Walden, you will need to go through the E-Verify process of digital verification of your employment authorization documents as provided on the Form I-9. Participation in E-Verify does not limit your right to work and verification will only be completed after you become an employee with Walden Robotics.