Principal Software Engineer (Robotics Simulation)

Principal Software Engineer (Robotics Simulation)

Location: Remote (within the US)

Employment Type: Contract (6 Months) – with potential contract extensions

Pay Rate: $100 to $115 per hour (W2)

Industry: Global Medical Technology & Manufacturing

Note: No Corp-to-Corp (C2C) or visa transfer. No visa sponsorship. Only open to W2 employment.

Job Description

As a Principal Engineer, you will lead the development of a digital twin environment for advanced Robotics and Enabling Technology applications. This work includes migrating the existing Mako OR simulator to NVIDIA Isaac Sim and expanding the simulation environment to support operating room (OR) layout optimization, robotic system simulation, sensor simulation, and future AI model development for intra-operative use cases. You will collaborate closely with clinical application, robotics, and software engineering teams to establish a representative simulation environment for the Mako robotic system and related OR components, creating the technical foundation for simulation-based evaluation, workflow studies, and AI model training.

This is a highly specialized individual contributor role requiring deep technical expertise and recognized leadership within a specialized engineering discipline. The ideal candidate brings extensive experience in their field, along with an advanced degree or equivalent combination of education and experience. As a technical expert, you will apply in-depth knowledge to solve complex engineering challenges, exercise sound analytical and evaluative judgment, and make informed decisions in situations involving both quantitative and qualitative information. Success in this role requires the ability to assess, prioritize, analyze, and validate complex and evolving technical problems while contributing to innovative solutions. Candidates should possess a bachelor's degree or equivalent experience and typically have 8+ years of relevant professional experience.

Typical Day-to-Day

• Participate in daily standup / progress reporting meetings
• Work independently on assigned tasks
• Work with stakeholders to resolve issues and blockers
• Present on milestone achievements

Responsibilities

• Migrate the assets from the existing OR simulator to Isaac Sim using its import and scene definition capabilities, including the robot, the operating table, sawbone and tracking instrument models.
• Set up an articulation controller to control joint positions of the robot. Connect the simulation to ROS2 to use already existing functionality for controlling the robot.
• Evaluate the use of Isaac Sim for OR layout optimization and implement or extend missing features needed to support basic layout, access, collision, and workflow studies.
• Develop a physics model for tool-tissue interaction to accurately model bone resection and tissue manipulation.
• Integrate a variety of sensor models into the simulation.

Desired Qualifications

• Candidates should possess a bachelor's degree or equivalent experience and typically have 8+ years of relevant professional experience.
• Solid background with Python programming in a Linux environment.
• Experience with robotics hardware development and CAD modeling.
• Exposure to simulation tools (e.g., Gazebo, Webots, Unity, MATLAB/Simulink, NVIDIA Isaac Sim).
• Experience with physics modeling and simulation.
• Experience with Omniverse and USD workflows preferred.
• Experience with articulated robot simulation preferred.
• Experience with edge computing preferred.
• Robotics controls background and working knowledge of ROS2 preferred.

Additional Information

• This is a newly created position supporting the development of foundational technologies for future robotics and AI capabilities.
• You'll join a collaborative team of approximately 8 engineers focused on robotics simulation and software development.
• This is an individual contributor role with no direct reports or people management responsibilities.
• The position is primarily engineering-focused with collaboration across internal cross-functional teams and does not involve direct interaction with external clients or customers.