(Senior) Robotics Software / Forward Deployed Engineer (US)

About the Role at RobCo

RobCo is building the category of Autonomous Industrial Robotics and we're doing it fast. We believe that automating the ordinary frees humans to do the extraordinary, and we're building the end-to-end robotics infrastructure to make that possible - hardware, software, and AI in one stack that just works.

As our first US-based Forward Deployed Engineer, you'll sit at the intersection of robotics software, Product Engineering, and real-world customer applications. You make our platform fit the factory floor when the standard product isn't enough, developing the software and integrations needed to make complex customer solutions work on real robots.

You'll work on technically challenging projects, often solving problems that haven't yet been solved by most robotics companies. Depending on the project, this could mean developing new motion capabilities, building new RobFlow functionality, integrating vision or third-party systems, or connecting our robots to a customer's existing technology stack.

Based in Austin, you'll work closely with our Solution Engineering team in the US and collaborate across our engineering organization in Germany, including Software Platform, Robot Control, and Computer Vision. When you're not working on a customer-specific project, you'll contribute directly to our core software platform.

This is the first role of its kind in the US and the beginning of a broader Forward Deployed Engineering function. As the team grows, you'll have the opportunity to help shape how we build and deliver increasingly complex robotics solutions.

Your Responsibilities

• Build custom robotic software solutions for deployments: custom motion generators, application-specific kinematic logic, and tailored automation workflows on the RobCo stack.
• Integrate peripherals and computer vision systems, including our in-house RobVision platform as well as third-party vision and sensor systems.
• Deploy, commission, and debug solutions on real robots at customer sites alongside the Solution Engineering team.
• Translate field requirements into product decisions and bring product knowledge back to the field. Turn recurring custom work into product features, and contribute to core robotics software at product-grade quality.
• Serve as an escalation point for complex software and robotics issues in US-based deployments.

We're Looking for Someone Who Has

• Aprox 3 to 5+ years of robotics software engineering: working across the entire stack, from robotics control, backend service to frontend.
• Strong software engineering skills in Python, C++ and ROS/ROS2, building production-level software.
• Hands-on experience developing software for and working with physical robots, ideally industrial robotic arms or manipulators.
• A solid understanding of kinematics, motion generation, motion planning, and robot control, with the ability to apply these concepts in real robotic applications.
• Experience working with APIs and integrating software components within larger systems.
• A strong ownership mentality, a resourceful and pragmatic working style, and the ability to take a problem and drive it to a working solution without step-by-step direction.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively across teams and time zones.
• Willingness to travel up to 30% within the US.

Nice to Have

• Experience integrating computer vision systems into robotic applications.
• Experience with industrial robot peripherals such as grippers and sensors.
• Experience with PLCs and industrial communication protocols such as Modbus or Profinet.
• Experience integrating third-party machines or industrial equipment.
• Experience with ERP systems, customer databases, or similar external systems..
• Previous customer-facing engineering experience.