We're building general-purpose humanoid robots with super-human dexterity and a real understanding of the physical world. None of it moves without the firmware and middleware that tie every joint, sensor, and actuator together - safely, in real time. That's the layer you'd work on, and it sits at the center of everything we build.
Key responsibilities:
Build the middleware layers that let every joint, sensor, and actuator talk reliably in a humanoid robot.
Design real-time communication protocols and bus architectures that scale to dozens (or hundreds) of distributed controllers.
Implement safety-critical checks, redundancy mechanisms, and watchdog systems to keep robots safe under load.
Optimize for low-latency, high-throughput communication between the perception, control, and hardware layers.
Collaborate with the control, hardware, and AI teams to keep information flowing seamlessly from firmware up to high-level behaviors and UX interfaces.
Prototype quickly, debug ruthlessly, and iterate until the robot moves with confidence and reliability.
Expertise in C/C+, Python, ROS2, RT-Linux (bonus: Zenoh, Rust,, as well as CAN, EtherCAT, or similar real-time communication stacks).
Comfort at the intersection of hardware and software: debugging signals, oscilloscopes, and low-level protocols as needed.
Experience designing reliable communication systems under tight latency constraints – as we push for superhuman control, we will also need the next level of reliable and rapid communication.
An ownership mindset: able to take a critical subsystem and push it from prototype to production.
Safety systems, motor-control firmware, or humanoid-scale robotic platforms.
Strong background in embedded systems, firmware development, or middleware for distributed robotics systems.
UMA is an inclusive workplace that values exceptional builders over perfect pedigrees. Whatever your background, identity, or journey, if you don't meet every criterion but believe you can have an outsized impact here, we strongly encourage you to apply
Skills Required
- Strong background in embedded systems, firmware development, or middleware for distributed robotics systems
- Proficiency in C/C++
- Experience designing reliable communication systems with tight latency constraints
- Bonus: background in safety systems, motor control firmware, or humanoid-scale robotic platforms
What We Do
We build general-purpose mobile and humanoid robots capable of human-level dexterity and understanding of the physical world. It will enable people to focus on what truly matters in their lives. We are based in Paris, FR. Join us: https://app.dover.com/jobs/uma
