Robotics Engineer

Robotics Engineer — West Loop Chicago (work 50% of time in the new Chicago RoboticsLab)PCM is hiring a hands-on Robotics Engineer focused on software and firmware to make robots work reliably in the real world for both specialized and humanoid robotics. This role prioritizes software/firmware expertise over mechanical design and requires being Chicago-based (or relocating) to work from the West Loop lab at least half the time. Ship control, perception, and embedded systems that run on physical hardware and iterate quickly with the lab team.What you’ll do:Design, implement, and maintain robot control software, perception pipelines, and embedded firmware.Develop sensor integration, state estimation, and real-time control loops for on-platform testing.Build firmware for motor controllers, sensors, and comms stacks; debug and deploy to devices.Run frequent hardware-in-the-loop and on-floor tests, diagnose on-device issues, and iterate fixes rapidly.Improve CI, diagnostics, deployment, and OTA workflows for lab devices and small fleets.Collaborate closely with mechanical and electrical teams to integrate software with hardware and validate system-level behavior.Required Skills:Located in Chicago or willing to relocate; able to work from the West Loop lab at least 50% of the time.Strong software and firmware skills (Python plus C/C++ or Rust or relate Robotics dev experience) with emphasis on embedded/real-time systems. Practical experience with robotics middleware or frameworks (ROS or equivalent) and sensor stacks (IMU, cameras, lidar).Comfortable debugging on hardware, running real-world experiments, and iterating quickly.Solid engineering practices: version control, automated testing, and reproducible deployments.