Machine Learning Software Engineer

Foundational Industries · San Francisco

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Foundational Industries · SF Bay Area · Full-Time

About Foundational

Foundational is building a network of AI-native, autonomous factories for modern contract manufacturing, reshoring critical supply chains so companies can produce high-quality products domestically, quickly, and at competitive cost. Recent breakthroughs in robotics and physical AI have shifted autonomous manufacturing from theoretical to deployable, and we’re focused on operationalizing these capabilities at scale during a decisive decade for American industrial leadership.

WHO — Who Thrives Here

This role is for a Machine Learning Software Engineer who will design, develop, test, and deploy software systems for advanced robotic and autonomous platforms used in industrial and automation environments. The role involves working on motion planning, kinematics, perception, and real-time control systems to enable robust, autonomous robotic operations.

A note on pace: this is a startup building something genuinely hard. The people who do best here bring a sense of urgency that’s internal, not installed. If you need the environment to create pressure for you, this probably isn’t the right fit. If you’re the one creating pressure for the environment, keep reading.

MISSION

Build the software systems that power Foundational’s AI-native manufacturing platform, from first principles to production.

OUTCOMES — What Success Looks Like in 6–12 Months

• Software Development: Design, implement, and maintain scalable software architectures and real-time control systems for robotic platforms using C++ and/or Python.

• Perception Pipelines: Build and integrate perception software, including computer vision, depth sensing, and point cloud processing, to enable robotic systems to interpret dynamic environments.

• Algorithm Implementation: Write, optimize, and validate motion planning and kinematics algorithms for tasks such as object manipulation, path planning, obstacle avoidance, and multi-axis motion control.

• System Integration: Integrate robotic software with physical hardware, sensors, actuators, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and standard industrial communication protocols.

• Simulation & Testing: Build, maintain, and utilize simulation environments to test, validate, and benchmark robotic behaviors and control algorithms prior to physical deployment.

• Troubleshooting & Maintenance: Debug, analyze, and resolve complex software, firmware, and hardware-software integration issues in active operational environments.

• Collaboration: Partner with cross-functional engineering teams, including controls, hardware, and artificial intelligence groups, to deploy and iterate on production-ready robotic systems.

SKILLS

• Degree Required: Bachelor’s degree (or foreign equivalent) in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mathematics, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, or a closely related technical field.

Experience

• Years of Experience: Minimum of three (3) years of progressive, post-baccalaureate professional experience in software development, with a specific focus on developing software for robotic or autonomous systems.

Core Skills & Competencies

• Proficiency in software development using Python and/or C++.

• Demonstrated experience utilizing ROS or ROS2 for robotic system development.

• Foundational knowledge of motion planning, kinematics, or robotic control algorithms.

• Experience integrating software systems with physical hardware components, such as sensors, actuators, or industrial equipment.

• Ability to debug and troubleshoot across software-hardware boundaries.

• Familiarity with real-time or embedded systems concepts.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in developing and configuring software components within robotic operating frameworks (such as ROS/ROS2) for industrial robotic arms, collaborative robots, or autonomous material handling systems.

• Experience in industrial automation, manufacturing, or factory environments.

• Experience with computer vision libraries (e.g., OpenCV, PCL) or depth-sensing hardware (e.g., LiDAR, RGB-D).

• Familiarity with standard industrial communication protocols (e.g., OPC UA, MQTT, Modbus, EtherCAT).

• Experience utilizing physics-based simulation platforms for robotic validation.

• Familiarity with machine learning frameworks applied to robotic perception, control, or physical AI foundation models.

COMPETENCIES

• Ships with intent — builds for the environment it will run in, holds quality to a production standard, closes the loop on what was delivered

• Systems thinker — sees how components interact, anticipates failure modes, designs for operational reality

• Builder’s instinct — energized by zero-to-one work and equally committed to what comes after the launch

• High ownership — takes responsibility for outcomes and drives problems to resolution. Doesn’t wait to be told.

• Collaborative by default — works across controls, AI, hardware, and operations without losing clarity or momentum

• Curious about the physical world — wants to understand the factory, the constraints, and what it takes to build software that holds up in it

Why Foundational

This is a filter as much as it is an invitation.

We’re turning reindustrialization from a talking point into an operating reality. The work is hard, the environment is demanding, and the stakes are real. We compensate through base, bonus and equity that reflect impact, responsibility, and results, with meaningful upside for the people who help build and scale this company.

For those aligned with the mission and motivated by execution at scale, Foundational offers the opportunity to help define one of the most consequential industrial transformations of the next decade.

Foundational Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Foundational complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We evaluate every candidate on what they can do and who they are.

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