Robotics Software Engineering Team Lead - Planning and Controls

Locus Robotics is a global leader in warehouse automation, delivering unmatched flexibility and unlimited throughput, and actionable intelligence to optimize operations. Powered by LocusONE, an AI-driven platform, our advanced autonomous mobile robots seamlessly integrate into existing warehouse environments to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and scale operations with ease.

Trusted by over 150 industry leading retail, healthcare, 3PL, and industrial brands in over 350 sites worldwide, Locus enables warehouse operators to achieve rapid ROI, minimize labor costs, and continuously improve productivity. Our industry-first Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS) model ensures ongoing innovation, scalability, and cost-effectiveness without the burden of significant capital investments. With proven capabilities in diverse workflows—from picking and replenishment to sorting and pack-out—Locus Robotics empowers businesses to meet peak demands and adapt to ever-changing operational needs.

As a Robotics Planning and Controls Team Lead, you will drive the development of motion planning and trajectory control algorithms for multi-robot navigation. This is a hands-on leadership role where you’ll manage a small team while contributing directly to the codebase and architecture. You’ will collaborate across global engineering teams to integrate planning and control into a distributed robotic system and help shape the roadmap for future capabilities. This is a great fit for someone who is passionate about solving challenging robotics problems, takes pride in mentoring teammates and maintaining a hands-on approach to coding.

This position offers flexible work arrangements:

• Remote from the U.S., Canada, England, Scotland, or Portugal.
• Hybrid or Onsite from one of our US offices in Wilmington, MA, or Nashua, NH.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a small, globally distributed team of robotics software engineers.
• Design and implement path, motion, and trajectory planning algorithms to optimize robot paths and enable precise movement in complex indoor environments.
• Collaborate with other engineering teams to integrate planning and control systems.
• Identify and implement improvements to system architecture to boost performance, robustness, and scalability.
• Contribute to product roadmapping and technical strategy for future system development.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Computer Science, Robotics or a related engineering discipline.
• 7+ years of experience developing production software with C++ or other object-oriented languages.
• 1+ years of hands-on leadership experience as a Team Lead or similar technical role, including mentoring engineers, managing direct reports, and contributing to the codebase and technical direction.
• 5+ years working on mobile robotics systems (e.g., AMRs, autonomous vehicles). 
• Deep experience in motion planning, trajectory control, and/or optimization.
• Proficiency developing in Linux
• Familiarity with ROS and the ROS navigation stack.
  
• Experience with distributed robotics systems and scalable architectures.
  
• Proven ability to manage high-impact projects in fast-paced, dynamic environments.
• Proficient English communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to engage diverse audiences effectively.

Additional Information 

Locus Robotics is an Equal Opportunity Employer