Backend Software Engineer – Human-Robot Interaction

Picklerobot
Charlestown, MA
On-site

Who this role is best for

Best suited to mid-level backend engineers with interest in robotics infrastructure and warehouse automation, working onsite in Charlestown.

Best fit for

  • Engineers who prioritize code quality and system design in production environments.
    — “cares deeply about code quality, system design, and performance”
  • Backend developers comfortable working close to hardware in robotics contexts.
    — “isn't afraid to get close to the hardware”
  • Those seeking direct impact on how operators interact with autonomous systems.
    — “direct impact on how operators experience autonomous robotics”

Things to consider

  • Role requires collaboration with robotics engineers on warehouse floor systems.
    — “work closely with robotics engineers”
  • Must be comfortable owning significant portions of the technical stack.
    — “own meaningful pieces of the stack”

How to stand out

  • Highlight specific examples of backend systems you've scaled for physical workflows.
    — “building scalable systems that support task planning”
  • Demonstrate how you've improved performance in production environments.
    — “performance — someone who wants their work to have a direct impact”
  • Show cross-functional collaboration with hardware or robotics teams.
    — “collaborate across a tight-knit engineering team”
Pace · SteadyCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · TeamLevel · Mid

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • Design and build backend services for robotic systems
  • Collaborate with robotics engineers
  • Maintain high software standards
Typical background
Bachelors degree in STEMProfessional software development experience

Skills & requirements

Required

PythonC#GoJavaSystem DesignPerformance OptimizationCode QualityBackend Engineering PracticesRobotics Infrastructure

Preferred

Real-time AnalyticsAnomaly DetectionDistributed SystemsHigh-volume Data Processing

Stack & domain

Human-robot InteractionRobotic WorkflowsTask Planning

About the role

Original posting from Picklerobot via Lever

Pickle is looking for a Backend Software Engineer to join our Human-Robot Interaction team, focused on building scalable systems that support task planning and robotic workflows.

This role sits at the intersection of software engineering and robotics infrastructure. You'll work closely with robotics engineers to design and build backend services that power real-world robotic systems on the warehouse floor.

We're looking for a strong software engineer who cares deeply about code quality, system design, and performance — someone who can bring solid backend engineering practices into a robotics environment and isn't afraid to get close to the hardware.

At Pickle, your code directly impacts how autonomous robots operate in production warehouses. You'll own meaningful pieces of the stack, collaborate across a tight-knit engineering team, and see the results of your work in the real world. 

Responsibilities:

-

Design and build backend services supporting front-end systems 

-

Develop scalable, reliable, and performant systems using Python

-

Contribute to system architecture and service design within the team

-

Build and maintain event-driven systems and messaging-based architectures

-

Collaborate closely with robotics engineers to integrate backend systems with real-world workflows

-

Improve system performance, reliability, and maintainability across services

-

Participate in code reviews and technical discussions to elevate engineering standards

Skills & Experience:

-

2-5+ years of experience in backend or distributed systems engineering

-

Strong programming experience in Python

-

Experience building or supporting web applications using Flask or REST API

-

Experience with C++ or another strongly typed language (e.g., Rust, Go, Java)

-

Strong understanding of software architecture, concurrency, and distributed system design

-

Experience building or supporting event-driven systems, messaging frameworks, or service-oriented architectures

-

Experience developing systems that interface with hardware, robotics, or real-world operational environments is a plus

Nice to have:

-

Experience working across multiple programming languages

-

Familiarity with distributed systems or microservices architectures

-

Exposure to robotics, autonomy, or hardware-integrated systems

-

Experience with messaging systems (e.g., Kafka, ROS, or similar)

-

Experience with Human-Robot Interaction

Source: Picklerobot careers (Lever)

Similar roles