robotic systems engineer

Skip to main content robotic systems engineer mundane Palo Alto, CA Apply robotic systems engineer mundane Palo Alto, CA 3 weeks ago 161 applicants See who mundane has hired for this role Apply Save Report this job Direct message the job poster from mundane Eoin O’Doherty Eoin O’Doherty VP Operations & Strategy at Mundane Start Date: ASAPAbout UsMundane is a venture-backed seed-stage robot learning startup founded by a team of Stanford researchers and builders. We’re deploying a massive fleet of humanoid robots to perform mundane tasks in commercial environments, collecting data to build the next generation of embodied intelligence. We’re a fast-paced, execution-driven team of engineers, roboticists, and dreamers.About the RoleAs a Robotic Systems Engineer, you will own critical layers of the humanoid robot stack — spanning embedded firmware, middleware, controls, and system integration. You’ll bridge low-level hardware interfaces with high-level behavioral systems, ensuring our robots operate safely, reliably, and efficiently in real-world environments.This is a deeply hands-on role for an engineer who thrives at the intersection of embedded systems and large-scale robotic software. You’ll work across hardware, controls, perception, and ML teams to transform research behaviors into production-grade deployments — building the core systems that serve as the nervous system and coordination layer of our humanoids.ResponsibilitiesDesign and maintain embedded firmware, low-level drivers, and real-time communication interfaces for sensors and actuators.Develop middleware, state machine architectures, and distributed control frameworks coordinating robot behavior.Build and optimize control interfaces bridging research algorithms with deployed hardware (motion, manipulation, locomotion).Implement safety systems, fail-safes, and recovery mechanisms for real-world humanoid deployments.Lead board bring-up, hardware/software integration, and system validation in collaboration with hardware teams.Develop telemetry, monitoring, and debugging infrastructure for deployed robots.Create robust testing and validation frameworks to ensure production reliability and continuous improvement.Interface with deployment and operations teams to diagnose field issues, patch live systems, and maintain uptime.Qualifications5+ years of experience in robotics, embedded systems, autonomous systems, or large-scale hardware/software integration.Strong proficiency in C++ and Python; solid experience with C for embedded systems.Deep familiarity with ROS2, middleware design, distributed systems, and control architectures.Experience with microcontrollers, embedded Linux, or RTOS platforms.Hands-on experience with communication protocols (CAN, SPI, I2C, UART, Ethernet).Strong systems-level debugging skills across hardware and software boundaries.Demonstrated ability to integrate research code into safety-critical, real-world robotic systems.BonusExperience with teleoperation, VR interfaces, or remote robot control systems.Background in robot learning, behavior trees, motion planning, or multi-robot coordination.Experience with motor control, safety-critical embedded systems, or real-time optimization.What You’ll GetOwnership over the embedded and middleware systems that make humanoid robots safe and...