Apptronik is building robots for the real world to improve human quality of life and to help solve the ever-increasing labor shortage problem. Our team has been building some of the most advanced robots on the planet for years, dating back to the DARPA Robotics Challenge. We apply our expertise across the full robotics stack to some of the most important and impactful problems our society faces, and expect our products and technology to change the world for the better. We value passion, creativity, and collaboration to help us overcome existing technological barriers in the industry to create truly innovative products.

You will join a team developing state-of-the-art general-purpose robots designed to operate in human spaces and with human tools. It is designed to work alongside humans, mobilize to human spaces, and manipulate the world around it.

We're looking for an experienced Software Engineering Intern with proven hands-on capabilities and a strong theoretical background. We are primarily interested in candidates with prior robotics hardware implementation experience. In this role, you will work on control, planning, perception, and autonomy algorithms; software, sensor, and hardware integrations; or machine learning and testing in sim and on real robot platforms. You will work as part of a team focused on developing a dynamic humanoid robot robust to unstructured environments and able to perform useful tasks.

What To Expect

This position is expected to start in-person around May/June 2025 and continue through the entire Summer (i.e. through Aug/Sep 2025). We ask for a minimum of 10 weeks. Interns should expect to work Monday-Friday, up to 40 hours per week, typically between 9am-5pm. Specific team norms around working hours will be communicated by your manager. Please consider before applying.

Requirements

MUST be an MS or PhD student enrolled in an accredited program during the internship term. (New graduates not enrolled in an accredited program for Fall 2024 are ineligible.)
Pursuing a degree in Computer Science, Electrical/ Mechanical/ Aerospace Engineering or similar.
Experience in software and algorithm development for control, planning, perception, or autonomy for robotics.
Proficient in C++ in a Linux development environment, with prior demonstrated ability to:
Translate complex theoretical concepts and algorithms into practical, efficient, and bug-free software implementations
Perform on a fast-paced software development team using standard CI tools like Git while following rigorous documentation and testing standards
Familiar with modern software tools / libraries relevant to your skillset
Robotics frameworks and libraries such as ROS, Ignition Gazebo, Pinocchio, MuJoCo, OMPL, MoveIt etc.
Strong theoretical understanding of some significant subset of dynamics, controls, estimation, data science, or linear algebra
Excellent communication and documentation skills
GPA of 3.0 or above
Experience with complex robotic systems, especially planning and control for dynamic legged robots in unstructured environments
Experience developing and implementing advanced robot control algorithms like:
- Whole Body Control / inverse dynamics
- Model Predictive Control / dynamics-based trajectory optimization
- State Estimation / sensor fusion
- Perception-based path planning and collision avoidance
- Reinforcement Learning for dynamic systems
Experience with optimal control toolboxes/solvers

Nice to have

Experience developing and debugging real-time, multithreaded software systems
Experience implementing model-based feedback control of articulated robots and troubleshooting hardware
Experience with modeling dynamic systems, system identification, and optimization solvers
Experience with embedded systems and firmware development
Familiarity with RTPreempt and Linux kernel configuration
Experience with EtherCAT

Qualities

Creativity
Humility
Integrity
Passion
Curiosity
Analytical
Disciplined

*This is a direct hire. Please, no outside Agency solicitations.

Apptronik provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Apply for this Job

* Required

First Name *

Last Name *

Email *

Phone

Resume/CV

Dropbox Google Drive

(File types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf)

Cover Letter

Dropbox Google Drive

(File types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf)

LinkedIn Profile

Website

Are you currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Engineering, Phyiscs, Applied Math, or similar? *

What is your GPA? *

What degree are you currently pursuing? *

How many years of experience do you have with legged robots? *

How many years of experience do you have with manipulation? *

How many years of experience do you have with reinforcement learning for either locomotion or manipulation? *

How many years of experience do you have with C++? *

What is the most impressive thing you’ve gotten a robot to do? *

Are you legally authorized to work in the United States? * *

Technology Control Restrictions *

As a person in this position will have access to technical data and/or computer software maintained by the Company, which includes export-controlled technical data and/or computer software, successful applicants must be eligible under U.S. export control regulations to access such information:

1. Please confirm that you are either: (a) a U.S. citizen; (b) lawful permanent resident of the U.S. (green card holder); or (3) protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).

a. If NO, please indicate your country of citizenship and, if different, the country in which you have most recently obtained citizenship or permanent residency status. This information will be used to determine whether it would be possible to obtain any required license from the U.S. government. (Enter in "N/A" if marked Yes above) *

2. Please indicate whether you ever been indicted for or convicted of violating any of the U.S. Criminal statues enumerated in 22 CFR 120.6 or violating a foreign criminal law on exportation of defense articles where conviction of such law carries a minimum term of imprisonment of greater than one year. *

3. Please indicate whether you have been declared ineligible to contract with, or to receive a license or other approval to import defense articles or defense services from, or to receive an export license or other approval from, any agency of the U.S. Government. *

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Apptronik’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Gender

Are you Hispanic/Latino?

Please identify your race

Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Veteran Status

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305

Page 1 of 1

OMB Control Number 1250-0005

Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
Blind or low vision
Cancer (past or present)
Cardiovascular or heart disease
Celiac disease
Cerebral palsy
Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
Diabetes
Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
Intellectual or developmental disability
Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
Short stature (dwarfism)
Traumatic brain injury

Disability Status

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.

Enter the verification code sent to to confirm you are not a robot, then submit your application.

Security Code *

This application was flagged as potential bot traffic. To resubmit your application, turn off any VPNs, clear the browser's cache and cookies, or try another browser. If you still can't submit it, contact our support team through the help center.

Software Engineer Intern Motion Control & Planning

Apply for this Job

Voluntary Self-Identification

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability