Robotics Lab Support Engineer

Aquent, a premier talent solutions partner, is thrilled to collaborate with a pioneering global innovator that is revolutionizing the future of manufacturing through groundbreaking physical AI systems. In this dynamic role, you will be the essential link connecting software deployment, mechanical fabrication, sensor integration, teleoperation, and daily laboratory operations, directly shaping the future of automation and global production. By building the foundational infrastructure that enables intelligent systems to interact seamlessly with the physical world, your work will directly accelerate breakthrough innovations in robotics and AI, making a tangible, lasting impact on next-generation technology.

The Opportunity

As a vital member of a revolutionary robotics team, you will ensure a state-of-the-art laboratory runs with unparalleled efficiency, safety, and repeatability. You will bridge the gap between digital simulation and physical reality, troubleshooting hardware challenges, fabricating custom components, and meticulously preparing datasets that train advanced AI models. This is an exceptional opportunity to drive progress in a highly collaborative environment where software engineering, AI research, and physical prototyping converge.

What You'll Do

• Oversee the daily readiness of robotics workstations, sensor packages, computer systems, power infrastructure, and safety protocols to ensure seamless ongoing experiments and evaluations.
• Rapidly diagnose and resolve basic hardware, power, signal, or network connectivity issues, facilitating smooth setup changes between experimental runs.
• Coordinate essential logistics with facilities and security teams, including managing room utilization, power requirements, storage solutions, equipment receiving, and access control.
• Manage a comprehensive inventory of experimental components, cultivating vendor relationships for ordering, shipping, warranty claims, service, and returns.
• Uphold the highest safety standards through meticulous maintenance of standard operating procedures (SOPs), test notes, issue logs, and thorough documentation.
• Execute hands-on teleoperation and structured data collection using specialized interfaces and custom rigs for tasks ranging from precision pick-and-place to complex assembly sequences.
• Ensure data integrity through structured capture, meticulous annotation, comprehensive quality checks, and dataset cleaning for advanced imitation learning models.
• Support rigorous policy evaluations on physical hardware, meticulously logging failure modes, tracking operational metrics, and synthesizing comprehensive evaluation summaries.
• Design and fabricate custom camera mounts, brackets, fixtures, and hardware modifications utilizing CAD software, advanced 3D printing (FDM/SLA), and a range of workshop tools.
• Conduct precise camera calibration, sensor synchronization, coordinate frame setups, and capture high-quality stereo/RGB-D datasets under controlled visual and lighting conditions.
• Iterate and refine physical components to enhance rigidity, spatial positioning, usability, and the overall repeatability of experiments.
• Navigate Ubuntu/Linux terminal environments with ease, utilizing Git, Bash, and Python scripts for running test routines, parsing logs, and data inspection.
• Facilitate basic ROS 2 workflows and execute deployment SOPs to flash and run software and models on robotic hardware.
• Configure and validate simulation environments, including tools like NVIDIA Isaac Sim, to support robust sim-to-real development workflows.

What You'll Bring to the Team

• An educational foundation or equivalent practical experience in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, Computer Science, or a closely related technical discipline.
• Demonstrated expertise in maintaining sophisticated robotics laboratory environments, including adherence to safety SOPs, meticulous inventory management, and ensuring hardware readiness.
• Proven practical experience with teleoperation setups, structured dataset collection, and quality control methodologies for robotic manipulation tasks.
• Hands-on proficiency in CAD modeling, 3D printing, and mechanical prototyping techniques for fabricating custom mounts, brackets, and test rigs.
• Experience with camera calibration, coordinate frame transformations, and processing RGB-D or stereo-camera datasets.
• Strong operational proficiency within Ubuntu/Linux terminal environments, coupled with working knowledge of Python, Bash scripting, Git, and introductory ROS 2 workflows.

Skills That Will Set You Apart

• A foundational understanding of imitation learning principles, computer vision pipelines, and the structure of robotics training datasets.
• Familiarity with prominent robotics simulation tools such as NVIDIA Isaac Sim and Gazebo.
• Practical experience managing external vendors, procurement processes, and collaborating with facilities management in industrial or research environments.
• Experience with basic electrical prototyping, wire harness assembly, and troubleshooting connectivity issues.