Robotics Engineer

About the role

We are looking for a Robotics Engineer to join our self-driving technology team. In this role, you will be responsible for validating the performance, reliability, and safety of autonomous driving systems through structured testing on both simulated environments and real vehicles. You will work closely with perception, planning, and controls engineers to design test cases, log and analyze data, and identify failure modes before they reach production.

If you are passionate about robotics, automobiles, and building systems that operate safely in the real world, we'd love to hear from you.

This role is onsite at our Phoenix, AZ office.

What you'll do

• Design, execute, and document test plans for autonomous driving features, including perception, localization, path planning, and vehicle control.
• Develop and maintain test scripts and automation tools using Python and C++ on Linux-based platforms.
• Work with ROS1 and ROS2 to launch nodes, record/replay rosbags, debug topic streams, and integrate test harnesses.
• Interface with vehicle electronics over the CAN bus - sending, receiving, and decoding signals using tools such as CANalyzer, SocketCAN, or equivalent.
• Reproduce, triage, and log defects with detailed steps, sensor data, and rosbag artifacts; collaborate with the development team to drive issues to closure.
• Calibrate and verify sensor stacks (LiDAR, camera, radar, IMU, GNSS) and validate sensor fusion outputs.
• Participate in track testing, closed-course evaluations, and structured public-road drives in accordance with safety protocols.
• Contribute to test infrastructure: data pipelines, regression suites, KPIs, and dashboards that measure autonomy performance over time.
• Maintain accurate, audit-ready test documentation and reports.

What we're looking for

• Master's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics, Mechatronics, Robotics, Computer Science, or a related engineering discipline.
• Hands-on experience with Linux (Ubuntu) - comfortable with the shell, build systems, networking, and debugging tools.
• Working knowledge of ROS1 and ROS2 - nodes, topics, services, launch files, rosbag, tf, and basic package development.
• Practical exposure to the CAN protocol, including message decoding using DBC files and use of CAN tools/hardware (Vector, Kvaser, or similar).
• Solid foundation in automobile systems - powertrain, steering, braking, vehicle dynamics.
• Understanding of robotics fundamentals - coordinate frames, transforms, sensors, actuators, and basic state estimation.
• Basic Python scripting for automation, log parsing, and data analysis.
• Reading-level proficiency in C++, with the ability to navigate, debug, and make small modifications to existing codebases.
• Strong analytical mindset with attention to detail and a structured approach to problem-solving.
• Good written and verbal communication skills for clear test reporting.

Bonus Points

• Familiarity with version control (Git), CI/CD pipelines, and issue trackers (Jira).
• Exposure to functional safety standards (ISO 26262) or SOTIF (ISO 21448).
• Experience working with sensor calibration tools and rosbag analysis at scale.
• A valid driver's license and willingness to participate in on-road test drives.

More about Gatik

Founded in 2017 by experts in autonomous vehicle technology, Gatik has rapidly expanded its presence to Mountain View, Dallas-Fort Worth, Arkansas, and Toronto. As the first and only company to achieve fully driverless middle-mile commercial deliveries, Gatik holds a unique and defensible position in the AV industry, with a clear trajectory toward sustainable growth and profitability.

We have delivered complete, proprietary AV technology - an integration of software and hardware - to enable earlier successes for our clients in constrained Level 4 autonomy. By choosing the middle mile - with defined point-to-point delivery, we have simplified some of the more complex AV challenges, enabling us to achieve full autonomy ahead of competitors.

Given extensive knowledge of Gatik's well-defined, fixed route ODDs and hybrid architecture, we are able to hyper-optimize our models with exponentially less data, establish gate-keeping mechanisms to maintain explainability, and ensure continued safety of the system for unmanned operations.

Visit us at Gatik for more company information and Careers at Gatik for more open roles.

Notable News

• Bloomberg: Autonomous Trucking Firm Gatik Inks Contracts Worth $600 Million
• Forbes: Hundreds' Of Gatik Robot Delivery Trucks Headed For U.S. Roads
• Forbes:Gatik And Loblaw Announce Largest Commercial Deployment Of AV Trucks
• Forbes: Forget robotaxis. Upstart Gatik sees middle-mile deliveries as the path to profitable AVs
• Tech Brew: Gatik AI exec unpacks the regulations that could shape the AV industry
• Business Wire: Gatik Paves the Way for Safe Driverless Operations ('Freight-Only') at Scale with Industry-First Third-Party Safety Assessment Framework
• Auto Futures: Autonomous Trucking Group Gatik Secures Investment From NIPPON EXPRESS HOLDINGS
• Automotive News: Gatik foresees hundreds of self-driving trucks on road soon, and that's just the beginning
• Forbes: Isuzu And Gatik Go All In To Scale Up Driverless Freight Services
• Bloomberg: Autonomous Vehicle Startup Takes Off by Picking Off Easier Routes
• Reuters: Driverless vehicles on limited routes bump along despite US robotaxi scrutiny