Principal Robotics Software Engineer

We’re Blue River, a team of innovators driven to create intelligent machinery that solves monumental problems for our customers. We empower our customers - farmers, construction crews, and foresters to implement safer and more sustainable solutions, driving increased profitability with less reliance on scarce labor. We believe that focusing on the small stuff, pixel-by-pixel and task-by-task, leads to big gains.

Blue River Technology aligns with John Deere’s vision to “innovate on behalf of humanity” by quickly identifying and solving high-value, high-uncertainty challenges in AI, machine learning, computer vision, and robotics. BRT acts as a research and development flywheel, building not only new products but also new platforms that reliably create value for both Deere and its customers. From fully autonomous machines to highly precise farming equipment, BRT and Deere are partnering to deliver technical breakthroughs across industries such as agriculture and construction.

Our people are at the heart of what we do. Through cross-disciplinary collaboration, this mission-driven team is eager to define the new frontier of robotics. We are always asking hard questions, rapidly iterating, and getting our boots in the field to figure it out. We won’t give up until we’ve made a tangible and positive impact on the planet!

Blue River Technology is based in Santa Clara, CA.

Summary

We are seeking a Principal Robotics Software Engineer to provide technical leadership and architectural vision on Blue River Technology's Robotics Team. In this role, you will lead the design, development, and execution of complex software systems for our autonomous platforms. Serving as a key technical authority, you will work across multiple Blue River and John Deere engineering groups to change vehicle safety behavior, control the vehicle, and access valuable data signals. You will guide architectural decisions, mentor engineers, and partner with hardware, perception, and product leaders to turn ambitious autonomy into robust, safety-critical production software.

• Employment Type: Full-Time
• Work Location: Remote in the United States.
• Visa sponsorship: Open to visa sponsorship.

Job Responsibilities

A combination, not necessarily all-inclusive, of the following:

• Vehicle Control & Cross-Group Collaboration: Work across multiple Deere engineering groups to change vehicle safety behavior, control the vehicle, and unlock valuable data signals that improve machine intelligence, autonomy, and customer outcomes.
• Technical Leadership & Vision: Drive the technical vision and software architecture across multi-quarter robotics initiatives, establishing design patterns and engineering best practices for the team.
• System Architecture & Strategy: Architect, design, and maintain high-performance, fault-tolerant software systems for robotics (e.g., motion planning, controls, state estimation, spatial awareness, or fleet management).
• Cross-Functional Alignment: Partner closely with Robotics, Perception, Machine Learning, Hardware, Systems Engineering, and Product teams to define software requirements, hardware-software interfaces, and system-level validation plans.
• Code & System Quality: Champion software quality through rigorous coding standards, automated testing, continuous integration, and real-world software deployment protocols to ensure high reliability in production environments.
• Mentorship & Growth: Guide, coach, and elevate senior, mid-level, and junior engineers through technical design reviews, clean code practices, and system-level troubleshooting.
• Innovation & Technical Direction: Stay ahead of industry trends in robotics, AI/ML, dynamic controls, and real-time computing to continually evolve the robotics platform.

Required Experience and Skills

• 10+ years of professional software engineering experience, with at least 4+ years in a Principal or Staff-level capacity within robotics, autonomous vehicles, aerospace, or heavy machinery automation.
• Expert-level proficiency in modern C++ and Python within Linux-based development environments.
• Deep hands-on experience with core robotics frameworks (e.g., ROS / ROS 2, CyberRT) and key domains such as motion planning, kinematics, trajectory generation, localization, perception, or control theory.
• Demonstrated experience with multi-threaded C++ applications, basic IPC, and writing software that interfaces with physical hardware or sensors (e.g., LIDAR, cameras, IMUs, GPS).
• Exceptional ability to zoom out to high-level system architecture and zoom in to debug complex hardware-software integration edge cases.
• Strong capability to balance long-term architectural beauty with short-term shipping velocity.
• Ability to build alignment across multi-disciplinary engineering, product, and leadership teams through technical excellence and clear communication.
• Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Robotics, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.

Preferred Experience and Skills

• Experience with real-time operating systems (RTOS), low-latency system optimization, memory management, and real-time networking stacks (e.g., CAN, Ethernet).
• Experience with physics simulation environments (e.g., Isaac Sim, Gazebo, Webots).
• Experience with hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) setups and complex multi-sensor fusion pipelines.
• Familiarity with safety-critical system design or functional safety standards (e.g., ISO 26262, IEC 61508).

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Only individual applicants will be considered. We do not work with unsolicited third-party agencies or proxy interview services.

At Blue River, your base pay is one part of your total compensation package. For this position, the reasonably expected pay range is between $174,000 – $305,000/year for the level at which this job has been scoped. Your base pay will depend on several factors, including your experience, qualifications, education, location, and skills. This position is also eligible for an annual performance bonus and a competitive benefit package. During the recruitment process, we may identify an alternative role or level to which you are more suited. If your ideal role at Blue River differs from the advertised position, we will provide an updated pay range as soon as possible during the hiring process.

We’re passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. While we have more work to do to advance diversity and inclusion, we’re investing in our programs, including recruiting, mentorship, career development, and learning & development, to ensure they support our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion goals. We support each employee in living a full life, enabling a thriving career, and accomplishing a meaningful, challenging mission while collaborating with incredible people. We are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align completely with the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway.

We are an equal-opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, perform essential job functions, and receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request an accommodation.

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