Senior Robotics Motion Planning Engineer

About this role

About ATI: Automated Tire (ATI) is on a mission to reinvent tire changing and wheel balancing using cutting-edge robotics. We are transforming a process that hasn’t fundamentally changed in decades into an automated, high-performance system built for the future of automotive service. Founded by experienced entrepreneurs with multiple successful exits and backed by leading players across the automotive and tire industries, ATI is building technology that will redefine how cars are serviced. Our team combines deep robotics expertise with real world deployment, moving fast from prototype to production and scaling solutions directly in the field. If you are excited by hands-on robotics, real-world impact, and the challenge of building category-defining technology from the ground up, ATI is the place to do the most meaningful work of your career. Position Overview: We are looking for a Senior Robotics Engineer with deep expertise in motion planning to join our amazing software team. This is a hands-on, high-ownership role that will be the primary technical driver for implementing motion planning and control on our unique multi-axis robotic platform. This role will be responsible for deploying robust path planning and collision avoidance capabilities, working closely with perception, workflow and low-level hardware teams to build a robust and reliable robot unlike any other. Our system leverages multi-axis linear and rotational actuators to perform precision tire service operations. Our system has multiple manipulators that work in concert together in confined spaces where the risk of collision is high. The ideal candidate will understand the planning capabilities of the ROS 2 and MoveIt ecosystems deeply enough to configure and adapt its kinematic model, planning scene, and planner interfaces (OMPL, STOMP, CHOMP, Pilz) for our unique hardware topology. ATI is a small, gritty and talented team doing work that is genuinely hard. You will have direct access to hardware, real influence over technical direction, and no shortage of interesting problems to tackle. Key Responsibilities: Lead software system definition and integration of custom multi-axis hardware, handling URDF/SRDF modeling, planner selection and tuning, axis grouping, and defining joint-specific motion profiles Engineer fast, efficient collision-aware trajectory planning that can adapt to environmental obstacles and internal kinematic limits. Develop path planning solutions using OMPL (RRT, RRT-Connect, PRM) and evaluate deterministic alternatives (i.e., Pilz Industrial Motion Planner) for repeatable, production-safe trajectories Work with the motion team to build and maintain ROS 2 nodes for real-time actuator state feedback, joint state publishing, and trajectory execution against robotic hardware interfaces Collaborate with systems and hardware engineering to define kinematic constraints, velocity/acceleration limits, and safety interlocks for each axis of motion Debug and optimize motion performance in the field during site deployments — this is a bring-your-laptop-to-the-robot role when needed Write clean, testable code that can be maintained and extended; document your designs clearly for cross-functional audiences Requirements Deep expertise in motion planning algorithms, including sampling-based methods (e.g., RRT, RRT*), probabilistic roadmaps (PRM), and trajectory optimization techniques (e.g., CHOMP, STOMP, TrajOpt) with a strong preference for 2+ years of hands-on experience with MoveIt or MoveIt 2 in production or near-production systems. Strong problem solving skills with a proven ability to diagnose and resolve complex hardware-software integration issues, from high-level trajectory failures to low-level actuator constraints. Solid understanding of collision avoidance strategies, occupancy representations (e.g., OctoMap, voxel grids), and safety-aware planning. Hands-on experience with kinematic solvers such as KDL, TRAC-IK, or equivalent, with a strong understanding of forward and inverse kinematics for serial and parallel manipulators. Proven ability to build production-grade systems that achieve reliable, sub-second planning under real-world constraints including dynamic obstacles and tight tolerances. Strong proficiency in C++ and/or Python within the ROS2 ecosystem, with a firm grasp of real-time performance considerations, memory management, and software design patterns. Experience working with robotic simulation environments for development and validation. Preferred Qualifications: BS/MS/PhD in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field. Background in automotive service equipment, industrial automation, or other mechatronic systems outside of traditional robot arms Experience with real-time trajectory execution, hardware-in-the-loop testing, or safety-rated motion control Full-stack robotics experience spanning motor control and drive systems, hardware abstraction layers (HAL), and low-level firmware interfacing. Exposure to sensor integration and perception, including LiDAR, depth cameras, IMUs, and point cloud processing (e.g., PCL, Open3D), SLAM, or object detection as it pertains to reactive and perception-driven motion planning.