Robotics Engineer — Vision & Physical AI

Robotics Engineer — Vision & Physical AI

Productive Robotics | Santa Barbara, CA [/ Hybrid] | Full-time

The role

We build collaborative robots for machine shops and metal fabricators — the people who actually make things. Our robots work in real shops and real manufacturing environments.  That's what makes this job interesting: everything you build will do real work, in a real environment.   We’re a leader putting our cobots to work in real companies doing real work: machining, welding and manufacturing. We  have real customers (a lot of them), who are fanatically loyal and often work directly with us on the “next generation”.  We’re not a wannabe startup with big and unrealistic claims, although our team thinks and works like one.

We're looking for an engineer to help our robots see and adapt to their surroundings. You'll work alongside the founding engineering team on real perception problems, learn what it takes to make robots reliable enough for unattended production, and grow into owning larger pieces of the system.  

What you'll do

Build and test vision and perception features on production robots. Integrate cameras, sensors, and lighting into the product, and learn the calibration and coordination that ties what the robot sees to how it moves. Experiment with learned approaches to perception and control and help figure out which ones are ready for a shop floor. Get out to customer sites, watch where things break, and figure out how to fix them. Ask a lot of questions and ship steadily.

What we're looking for

You've gotten a camera and a robot (or other physical system) to work together — in a lab, a project, an internship, or a previous job. Solid Python and working knowledge of computer vision fundamentals (OpenCV, camera models, some PyTorch or similar). Some hands-on hardware exposure; you're not afraid of a wrench, a wiring diagram, or a robot that won't do what you told it. Curiosity about how things get made and the judgment to ask when you're unsure. Nice to have: C++, ROS 2, point cloud processing, or edge deployment (Jetson or similar). Welding or machining experience is helpful but not required.  

Why here

We're a small team with a short decision path. You'll learn fast, move fast and your work will show up on real robots that ship. You'll see your work running in real shops, doing real work making real products.   You'll get direct mentorship from engineers who've built this product from the ground up, and you'll touch everything: perception, motion, hardware, software, deployment, and the customer. There's no ceiling on the role you can grow into here.  

A note on compensation

We're honest about this: we don't pay what the big companies pay. What we offer instead is broad, hands-on experience across the entire spectrum of robotics and physical AI, real ownership in projects early, and a role that grows as fast as you do. If you'd rather build the whole robot than one slice of it, this is the place.  Your compensation package will depend on your experience.

Our People

We have a diverse, committed group of people, some of who have been with us for over two decades. We are a highly focused, dedicated, and responsible group who work in teams to "get it done". Each person brings a unique set of qualities and skills. Managers employ an "open door" policy, making it easy to find answers when you need them. We encourage people to present new ideas and work collaboratively to find solutions to continuously improve our processes. The best idea wins, no matter who it comes from! We believe that continuous learning and acquiring new skills is vital to staying current on the latest technologies and systems. If you are personable, smart, adaptable, and want to learn and grow, we want you to bring your ideas to Productive Robotics!
 

To apply: Send a résumé and a short note about something physical you've made work — a robot, a project, a repair — and what you learned from it,.

Internships also available.

Paid Vacation, Paid Sick leave, Holidays, 401K, multiple health care plan choices, paid educational support for programs, or specialized training, tremendous potential for professional growth, access to all the coffee you can drink, dog-friendly offices, company events and more. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.