Apptronik is a human-centered robotics company developing AI-powered robots to support humanity in every facet of life. Our flagship humanoid robot, Apollo, is built to collaborate thoughtfully with people, starting with critical industries such as manufacturing and logistics, with future applications in healthcare, the home, and beyond.
We operate at the cutting edge of embodied AI, applying our expertise across the full robotics stack to solve some of society's most important problems. You will join a team dedicated to bringing Apollo to market at scale, tackling the complex challenges like safety, commercialization, and mass production to change the world for the better.
JOB SUMMARY
Few teams get to shape how a humanoid robot learns to perceive, plan, and act — and even fewer let an early-career engineer touch every layer of that stack. As a Simulation Engineer on the Sim team, you’ll contribute across dexterity, design simulation, robot description, and platform tooling, applying strong Python skills, a robotics-fundamentals foundation, and a builder’s curiosity to make our simulation infrastructure faster, cleaner, and more useful every week.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES or KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES
- Author evaluation scenes in Isaac Lab / Isaac Sim from specifications, shortening the loop from “we want to test X” to “X is being tested.”
- Run sim-to-real comparison experiments and produce comparison reports that highlight where simulation diverges from hardware.
- Contribute to the CAD-to-simulation pipeline — kinematic graphs, collision geometry, mass and inertia properties — so the design org can iterate against simulation faster.
- Maintain canonical robot models and the validation tooling that protects them from regressions across releases.
- Improve developer experience on the simulation platform through examples, onboarding documentation, CI infrastructure, and user-issue triage.
- Bring a fresh-eyes perspective to onboarding documentation so the next engineer joining the team gets productive in days, not weeks.
SKILLS AND REQUIREMENTS
Must-Have- 0–2 years of professional software engineering experience (strong internship or research project experience qualifies)
- Strong Python skills
- Solid fundamentals: rigid body dynamics, linear algebra, spatial math, programming
- Coursework or project experience with robotics simulation, computational geometry, or computer graphics
- Demonstrated curiosity and willingness to work across multiple domains rather than specializing immediately
- Hands-on experience with Isaac Sim, MuJoCo, Gazebo, or equivalent simulator (coursework or projects count)
- Familiarity with USD, URDF, MJCF, or other robot/scene description formats
- Exposure to mechanical engineering, robot hardware, or sim-to-real workflows
- Some C++ exposure
- Internship or research experience in robotics, gaming, or graphics
EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE
- BS in Computer Science, Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, or related field. MS welcome but not
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
- Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
- Must be able to lift 15 pounds at times
- Vision to read printed materials and a computer screen
- Hearing and speech to communicate
*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.
Skills Required
- Deep experience with modern robotics simulators (Isaac Sim or MuJoCo)
- Strong understanding of Universal Scene Description (USD)
- Strong Python skills for scripting, pipeline automation, and analysis
- Proficiency in C++
- Solid understanding of kinematics, rigid body dynamics, collision geometry, and spatial math
- Experience converting CAD into simulation-ready assets with accurate collision meshes and joint limits
- Experience building high-fidelity evaluation scenes and modeling physical properties in simulation
- Experience implementing teleoperation and retargeting interfaces for human input devices (VR gloves/controllers)
- MS or PhD in Robotics, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, or related field
- 2+ years of experience working with robotic simulation
- Ability to collaborate effectively between hardware design and software/control teams
Apptronik Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Open paid time off alongside paid holidays and sick time is highlighted, providing broad latitude for time away.
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Flexible Benefits — A hybrid model with manager-approved remote work at least two days per week and flexible hours supports day-to-day flexibility.
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Healthcare Strength — Multiple UnitedHealthcare plan options are offered with an employer-paid portion of premiums, and health coverage is characterized as good to great.
Apptronik Insights
What We Do
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.
Why Work With Us
At Apptronik, we don't see a future where man competes against machine. Instead, we envision a harmonious world where man and machine coexist. Our mission statement, "It is not Man vs. Machine, but Man + Machine," encapsulates our belief that the synergy between humans and robots will pave the way for a brighter, more advanced future.
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Apptronik Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
