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Contract Robotics Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Atoms

Robotics Test Engineer

San Francisco, CA

$182K - $230K/yr

... and other robotics engineers * Build tools for technicians: visualization for status, test ... Work with contract manufacturers to build out process and scripts What we're looking for * Minimum ...

Atoms

Robotics Test Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$182K - $230K/yr

... and other robotics engineers * Build tools for technicians: visualization for status, test ... Work with contract manufacturers to build out process and scripts What we're looking for * Minimum ...

ATOMS Careers page

Robotics Test Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$182K - $230K/yr

... and other robotics engineers * Build tools for technicians: visualization for status, test ... Work with contract manufacturers to build out process and scripts What we're looking for * Minimum ...

OpenAI

Electrical Engineer, Robotics

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$295K - $380K/yr

... Electrical Engineer to help develop the next generation of robotic systems at OpenAI. This role ... Experience bringing hardware through EVT/DVT-style builds, low-volume production, or contract ...

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All JobsContract Robotics Engineer JobsContract Robotics Engineer Jobs in California

Contract Robotics Engineer information

See California salary details

$28.6K

$104.2K

$166.8K

How much do contract robotics engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 21, 2026, the average yearly pay for contract robotics engineer in California is $104,222.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $82,400.00 and $125,300.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a contract robotics engineer?

A Contract Robotics Engineer is a professional who designs, develops, and programs robotic systems on a temporary or project-based basis. They typically work with companies to create automation solutions, improve manufacturing processes, or develop new robotic applications. Unlike full-time employees, contract engineers are hired for specific projects and may work with multiple clients. Their responsibilities often include hardware design, software development, system integration, and testing. This role requires expertise in robotics engineering, programming, and problem-solving to deliver efficient and innovative robotic solutions.

What types of projects and daily tasks can a contract robotics engineer expect to work on?

As a Contract Robotics Engineer, you may work on a variety of projects, such as developing robotic automation for manufacturing lines, designing mobile robot prototypes, or troubleshooting existing robotic systems. Your daily tasks could include writing and testing control software, integrating hardware components, conducting system simulations, and collaborating with cross-functional teams like mechanical engineers or project managers. Assignments are often dynamic, requiring you to quickly adapt to new technologies and workflows. This variety offers opportunities to build diverse technical skills and make impactful contributions across multiple industries.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a contract robotics engineer?

To thrive as a Contract Robotics Engineer, you should possess strong proficiency in robotics systems design, programming (such as C++, Python, or ROS), and a relevant engineering degree. Experience with CAD tools, embedded systems, control algorithms, and, optionally, certifications like Certified Robotics Programmer are valuable assets. Excellent problem-solving abilities, communication skills, and adaptability help individuals excel in contractor environments where teams and projects change frequently. These skills ensure you can efficiently deliver innovative solutions, collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, and navigate the unique demands of contract-based work.

What are the most commonly searched types of Robotics Engineer jobs in California?

The most popular types of Robotics Engineer jobs in California are:

What are popular job titles related to Contract Robotics Engineer jobs in California?

For Contract Robotics Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Contract Robotics Engineer jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Contract Robotics Engineer jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Contract Robotics Engineer jobs?

Cities in California with the most Contract Robotics Engineer job openings:

Contract Robotics Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Contract Robotics Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 86% Full Time, and 14% Contract. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $104,222 per year, or $50.1 per hour.

Lead Robotics Platform Engineer

Foundry Robotics Inc

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$150K - $250K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, PTO

Posted 27 days ago

Job description

About Us
Foundry Robotics is building an AI-native robotics manufacturing company focused on deploying advanced assembly and production capability for leading robotics companies and national-security-critical hardware. Basically, we're building robots that build robots.
Factory OS is building software that runs factories. Our platform spans cloud backends, on-prem services, and edge devices deployed on the factory floor. The operators, supervisors, and managers who use our tools need interfaces that are fast, reliable, and intuitive-even when network conditions aren't perfect and the environment is demanding.
The Role
We are hiring the lead for our Cell Platform team. The cell platform is everything between firmware and application software on the robot cell, plus the electronic hardware it runs on: sensors and cameras, computes and carrier boards, networking, the OS and BSP layer, middleware and data transport, provisioning, and fleet infrastructure.
We treat the platform as an internal product. Its customers are our robotics, software, and manufacturing teams; its contract is a consistent, reproducible, performant base cell that they build on without worrying about the layers below. You will own that product: roadmap, releases, and the relationships with the teams that depend on it.
This is a player-coach role. You will be hands-on-keyboard from day one while defining the roadmap and hiring the engineers who will form the team around you.
What We're Looking For
You have built and shipped platforms on fleets of robots deployed into production for real customers. You know what lab prototypes and pilots don't teach: surviving OTA updates on remote hardware, debugging failures without physical access, and maintaining reliability against customer expectations rather than internal deadlines. Several years of this production-fleet ownership is our hard requirement; typically this looks like 8+ years of industry experience at AV, humanoid, AMR, or drone companies, owning the layer between BSP and autonomy.
Skills
  • Embedded Linux/BSP depth: kernel, drivers, device trees, boot, and BSP management; platform bring-up on NVIDIA Jetson and x86 targets.
  • Sensor integration and evaluation: has integrated a multitude of sensor types at the driver, SDK, and middleware-wrapper levels, and knows how to design and run sensor evaluations (latency, sync, driver stability, thermal). Emphasis on GMSL2 and PoE cameras.
  • Real-time and determinism: configures and validates real-time Linux kernels, CPU isolation, IRQ affinity, and RT scheduling policies to guarantee loop jitter budgets for control at 500 Hz-1 kHz; understands the interaction between RT configuration, DDS middleware, and zero-copy transport paths.
  • Middleware fluency: ROS 2 and DDS/RMW internals, QoS, node composition, zero-copy transport.
  • Data transport architecture: reasons about functional and optimal data transport on single-compute and distributed-compute architectures from first principles (shared memory, zero-copy, DMA/NVMM paths, network protocols), independent of any one middleware, and evaluates alternatives against measured budgets.
  • Hardware evaluation and qualification: has sourced, brought up, and qualified sensors/computes/networking on real robots; comfortable owning a BOM and working the seam with mechanical/electrical engineering.
  • Containerization and image engineering: designs images deliberately (layer ordering for build cache, multi-stage builds, minimal runtime images) and orchestrates multi-container systems on robot computes.
  • Release engineering: CI/CD pipelines, artifact/registry management, versioned release discipline.
  • Fleet/device management: OTA, provisioning at fleet scale, device observability.

Growth Opportunities
  • Own major product surfaces used by factory teams every day
  • Gain deep exposure to edge computing and industrial software patterns
  • Influence frontend architecture and developer experience across the platform
  • Grow into technical leadership within the application team
Why Join Us?
This is one of the only places where world-class manufacturing operators, mechanical engineers, robotics researchers, and software engineers sit in the same room - building production systems together.
We are committed to being deeply embedded in the U.S. industrial base. Our focus is simple: build adaptive robotic assembly systems that make American manufacturing scalable, resilient, and competitive again.
If you want to run a mature, well-defined commercial org, this may not be the role.
If you want to build the commercial engine that brings AI-driven manufacturing to every industrial and energy customer in America - this is it.
The base salary range for this full-time position in the location of San Francisco is:
$150,000-$250,000 USD
Compensation packages at Foundry Robotics for eligible roles include base salary, equity, and benefits. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position, determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, interview performance, and relevant education or training. Foundry Robotics employees in eligible roles are also granted equity based compensation, subject to Board of Director approval. You'll also receive benefits including, but not limited to: Comprehensive health, dental and vision coverage, and generous PTO.

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