Reports to: Head of Software & Controls
Workplace Type: Hybrid (onsite in Santa Cruz 3 days/week)
Overview:
Join Us in Revolutionizing Cardiac Care from Beautiful Santa Cruz
Imagine building life-saving robotics technology while being minutes from world-class surf breaks and redwood forests. We’re developing a groundbreaking robotic platform that gives surgeons superhuman precision in transcatheter valve deployment – and we need an exceptional Staff Robotics Software Engineer to help us push the boundaries of what’s possible in medical robotics.
You’ll be architecting and implementing the real-time software that translates a surgeon’s intent into precise robotic motion, working at the intersection of advanced robotics, real-time systems, and life-critical medical devices. This isn’t just another robotics job – you’re building systems where milliseconds matter and reliability saves lives.
What You’ll Do:
- Design and implement high-performance C++ software for real-time robotic control systems, with direct responsibility for actuator control, bring-up, and testing
- Architect and develop EtherCAT-based distributed control systems for multi-axis robotic coordination
- Leverage DDS (Data Distribution Service) and modern middleware for reliable, low-latency inter-process communication in complex robotic systems
- Optimize real-time performance in safety-critical contexts, ensuring deterministic behavior under all operating conditions
- Lead motor controller integration, from low-level driver development to application-level software and state machines
- Translate clinical and user needs into design requirements. Develop software designs, implement designs into testable prototypes, and bring these features to product launch
- Develop real time and/or non-real time software, creating features and infrastructure that supports safe and effective procedures
- Align individual work to best support company goals. Identifying high risk items and being part of developing solutions
- Document and communicate your work through design reviews and as appropriate released documents as part of the product development process
- Identify gaps and pitch in as needed to ensure that the team meets their goals and objectives
Skills:
- Expert C++ proficiency with deep understanding of modern C++ (14/17/20) in production systems
- Proven experience with actuator control including bring-up, characterization, and testing
- Motor controller and encoder integration expertise
- EtherCAT implementation experience for real-time distributed control
- Deep expertise with DDS and middleware systems – you understand QoS policies, discovery protocols, and have optimized publish-subscribe architectures for real-time performance
- Real-time systems expertise – you understand priority inversion, jitter, and deterministic scheduling
- Medical robotics or safety-critical systems background – you know why “it works most of the time” isn’t good enough
- Strong background in object-oriented design and programming, with the ability to create new designs or improve existing ones to ensure clear separation of concerns
- Understanding of how early design decisions cascade into outcomes later. Ability to make smart decisions regarding clinical workflow, regulations, and risk management to save time and effort later
Strongly Preferred:
- ROS1 or ROS2 experience – you’ve built production systems with ROS and understand its real-time capabilities
- Python experience
- Developing software that runs on Linux systems
- Knowledge of regulatory standards (FDA, CE Mark)
- Low-latency image/video streaming and GUI integration
Requirements:
- Experience & Background:
- BS/MS in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Robotics, or equivalent
- 8+ years of hands-on development in robotics or embedded systems
- Track record of shipping complex robotic systems to production
- Experience navigating ambiguity while delivering concrete results
- Experience with designing, testing, and shipping software for medical device capital equipment or similar safety critical systems
- Experience with medical device development process, design control, risk management, design verification, and regulatory processes, or experience with similar safety critical system development processes
- Ability to work in a hybrid work environment, working onsite 3 days a week, at our Santa Cruz, CA office. In the future, there will be an option to work one day from our satellite office in Los Altos, CA.
We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, and disability, or other legally protected status.