Robotics Autonomy Engineer, Planning

FieldAI’s Irvine team is where embodied AI meets real robots, real sensors, and real field deployments. Based in the heart of Southern California’s robotics ecosystem, we build risk-aware, reliable, field-ready AI systems that solve the hardest problems in robotics and unlock the full potential of embodied intelligence. If you want your work to ship, get tested on hardware, and improve through real deployments, Irvine is the place. We go beyond typical data-driven approaches or pure transformer-only architectures, combining rigorous engineering with learning systems proven in globally deployed solutions that deliver results today and get better every time our robots run in the field.

About the Job

FieldAI is building the future of autonomy, from rugged terrain to real-world deployment. We are on a mission to develop intelligent, adaptable robotic systems that operate beyond simulation and thrive in unpredictable environments.

As our Robotics Autonomy Engineer, Planning, you will design, implement, and deploy advanced motion planning and control algorithms that enable our robots to move with precision, robustness, and efficiency across diverse environments. You will work on navigation, trajectory generation, and motion control for robotic platforms ranging from wheeled and legged systems to complex humanoid architectures. If enabling robots to navigate challenging, dynamic environments excites you, and you want to work where your code works in the physical world - this is your role. This is FieldAI.

1. Develop Robust Motion Planning Algorithms

• Design, develop, and refine motion and navigation planning algorithms for challenging real-world scenarios such as narrow passages, dynamic obstacles, and complex environments.

• Design optimization-driven approaches for path and trajectory generation that ensure smooth, reliable, and efficient robot navigation across modalities.

• Ensure scalability, reusability, and adaptability of planning approaches across diverse deployment contexts.

2. Advance Control and Planning Integration

• Develop and tune control algorithms that ensure precise trajectory tracking and stable operation across different robotic systems.

• Collaborate across autonomy layers to ensure seamless coordination between perception, planning, and control for robust real-world performance.

3. Validate and Test Across the Stack

• Build and maintain testing pipelines from unit-level validation to full robot deployment.

• Utilize simulation and testing environments for algorithm evaluation, benchmarking, and regression validation.

• Analyze real-world telemetry to diagnose issues, identify improvements, and enhance algorithm robustness.

4. Diagnose and Improve Field Performance

• Investigate and resolve issues arising from field deployments through structured data analysis and debugging.

• Deliver targeted improvements that address specific challenges while maintaining general-case reliability and performance.

• Master’s degree or higher in Robotics, Computer Science, Mechanical/Electrical Engineering, or a related field (PhD a plus).

• Strong understanding of motion planning, trajectory generation, and control systems.

• Experience developing algorithms for one or more robotic systems (wheeled, legged, wheeled-legged, humanoid).

• Familiarity with motion planning libraries like OMPL, MoveIt, Nav2 stack etc

• Solid programming skills in C++ and Python on Linux-based systems.

• Familiarity with robotics middleware such as ROS/ROS 2.

• Experience with robot sensors including LiDARs, stereo/depth cameras, IMUs, GPS, wheel encoders.

• Ability to work on US government project.

• Exposure to real-world deployment of autonomous systems.

• Background in optimization, control, or numerical methods for trajectory planning.

• Familiarity with learning-based or hybrid planning approaches.

• Contributions to open-source planning or control frameworks.

• Familiarity with safety-critical autonomy and industrial robotics use cases.

Our salary range is generous and we consider each individual’s background and experience when determining final compensation. Base pay may vary based on role scope, job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and the Irvine, California market.

In Irvine, you will work where the robots are. Our local team builds and tests systems on real hardware with real sensors, then ships them to operate in unstructured, previously unknown environments around the world. We are solving one of robotics’ hardest challenges: reliable deployment outside the lab. Our Field Foundational Models™ raise the bar for perception, planning, localization, and manipulation, with an emphasis on explainability and safety for real-world use.

You will collaborate with a world-class team that thrives on creativity, resilience, and bold thinking. We bring deep experience from organizations such as DeepMind, NASA JPL, Boston Dynamics, NVIDIA, Amazon, Tesla Autopilot, Cruise, Zoox, Toyota Research Institute, and SpaceX, along with a track record of field deployments and strong performance in DARPA challenge segments.

We are looking for builders who want their work to leave the whiteboard and show up on robots. If you enjoy tackling tough, uncharted questions and working across disciplines, you will find your people here. Our teams span AI, software, robotics engineering, product, field deployment, and technical communication, all focused on shipping systems that perform in the real world.

Our headquarters is in Irvine, and we partner closely with teams there as well as colleagues across the US and around the world. Join us in Southern California and help define what dependable, field-ready autonomy looks like.

We value diverse perspectives and are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace. We evaluate candidates and employees based on merit, qualifications, and performance, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or any other legally protected status.