Robotics Design Engineer

Are you ready to be part of a company that's not just talking about the future, but actively shaping it? Join The AES Corporation (NYSE: AES), a Fortune 500 company that's leading the charge in the global energy revolution. With operations spanning 14 countries, AES is committed to shaping a future through innovation and collaboration. Our dedication to innovation has earned us recognition as one of the Top Ten Best Workplaces for Innovators by Fast Company in 2022. And with our certification as a Great Place to Work, you can be confident that you're joining a company that values its people just as much as its groundbreaking ideas.

AES is proudly ranked #1 globally in renewable energy sales to corporations, and with $12.7B in revenues in 2023, we have the resources and expertise to make a significant impact as we provide electricity to 25 million customers worldwide. As the world moves towards a net-zero future, AES is committed to meeting the Paris Agreement's goals by 2050. Our innovative solutions, such as 24/7 carbon-free energy for data centers, are setting the pace for rapid, global decarbonization.

If you're ready to be part of a company that's not just adapting to change, but driving it, AES is the place for you. We're not just building a cleaner, more sustainable future - we're powering it. Apply now and energize your career with a true leader in the global energy transformation.

About us

Embark on an exciting journey with AES as we pioneer the future of energy through Maximo, our innovative growth venture. Maximo, propelled by an AI-enabled robot, is transforming the construction of solar projects by expediting their completion. As a pivotal contributor to our mission of scaling solar energy production at an unparalleled pace, Maximo is leading the charge to meet the urgent global demand for net-zero emissions. Maximo team members are firm believers that accelerating decarbonization necessitates audacious actions, empowering the world to fulfill future needs.

Job Description

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Robotics Design Engineer to join our team. In this role, you will be responsible for building and maintaining our simulation-first development and validation workflow. You will leverage your deep expertise in robotics and simulation systems to drive innovation and solve complex challenges while designing, developing, and implementing robotics systems for Maximo. You will be a key player in defining how Maximo’s software architecture is structured, integrated, and validated before they are deployed to production robots in the field. You will work closely with engineers across Maximo team to design, develop, implement and test robotics solutions that power Maximo. In this role, you will translate product-level requirements into a coherent software and systems architecture for a rugged outdoor robotic platform.

A successful candidate is strongly motivated and passionate about solving robotics problems and pushing the boundaries of what is possible today and will be an entrepreneurial, mission-driven individual responsible for actively progressing, developing, and executing the technical roadmap of our solar module installation robotic system. This individual will take on the responsibility of defining, designing, developing, validating and implementing all the robotics solutions and integrating them into our core robotic system, ensuring the system meets requirements and performance targets. In addition, will be responsible for defining, designing and maintaining Maximo’s system architecture while improving documentation and keeping development practices. A good candidate has a strong technical understanding of robotics system architecture and development practices, combined with hands-on experience building and integrating robotics stacks (ROS 2, C++, real-time communication, mobility, and sensor fusion) for autonomous mobile systems.

As a specialist in the Maximo business, this position will work collaboratively across the Maximo, external industry partners across the value chain, and AES teams, including engineering, business development, construction, finance, supply chain, and strategy.

Major Responsibilities

- Define the robotics system architecture for Maximo, including subsystem decomposition, interfaces, and integration strategy.

- Own simulation workflows for architecture validation, scenario development, and regression testing.

- Build and maintain simulation assets (USD/URDF imports, sensor models, coordinate frames) and keep them consistent with physical robot configurations.

- Build scenario libraries (terrain/slope, occlusions, lighting, sensor noise) + acceptance metrics

- Simulation-to-field correlation (validate sensor models vs real logs)

- Support transition from simulation to real-world testing by creating test procedures, instrumentation, and debugging workflows; help close gaps between simulation and field

- Establish verification and validation practices: architecture reviews, test plans, performance benchmarks, and traceability from requirements to tests.

- Design, develop, and implement robotics systems for various components, including robotics, servomotors, variety of automation sensors, vision systems, battery management and safety components.

- Ensure seamless integration of robotic systems with other components and systems.

- Develop and maintain robotic system architecture, ensuring continuous improvement and innovation.

- Design, develop and implement advanced algorithms for real-time tasks such as trajectory generation, motion control, robotics motion, and system optimization.

- Conduct rigorous testing and validation of robotics systems to meet performance and safety requirements

- Research, develop, implement, and test new capabilities for industrial robotics

- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure the successful integration of robotics solutions into complex systems.

Requirements

- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, or a related field.

- 5+ years of work experience in robotics system.

- Strong theoretical foundation in robotics software and system architecture.

- Strong programming skills in languages such as C++, Python

- Proficiency in ROS2 and experience with ROS hardware integration

- Experience with robotics simulation and digital twins.

- Experience with middleware and networking considerations (DDS, QoS, latency/jitter, time synchronization) in distributed robotic systems.

- Proven track record of successfully delivering complex robotics systems to market

- Knowledge of robotics platforms and sensor systems.

- Founder’s mentality: Entrepreneurial passion for getting things done and a “make it happen” attitude with an intellectual curiosity to seek new opportunities.

- Skill and Behavior: Capability to work dynamically and collaboratively across multiple teams in a fast-paced and technical business environment with minimal supervision. Excellent communication skills. Results-oriented, “can-do” attitude, and “get things done” mentality; comfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity; no compromise on attention to quality and details.

- Technology fluency: Demonstrated ability to understand solar engineering and technology concepts, question assumptions, and make informed product and technology decisions. Technical understanding of automation, robotics, computer vision, machine learning and/or artificial intelligence, is a plus.

Be a part of the change and join Maximo at AES!

Start Date: ASAP

Travel: 30% travel

Languages: English required

AES is an Equal Opportunity Employer who is committed to building strength and delivering long-term sustainability through diversity and inclusion. Respecting all backgrounds, differences and perspectives enables us to improve the lives of our people, customers, suppliers, contractors, and the communities in which we live and work. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and/or expression, race, national origin, ethnicity, age, religion, marital status, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical condition, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law. E-Verify Notice: AES will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with information from each new employee's I-9 to confirm work authorization.