Robot Software Engineer (HMI/UI)

Oakland, CA (In Person Only)
Full-time

First, the good news: The world now has over 1.7 terawatts of cumulative solar capacity and solar PV is the lowest-cost source of energy generation worldwide.

The challenge: The world must build 3 terawatts of new solar capacity every year for the next 25 years.

Planted is creating new technology to overhaul how the industry develops and builds solar power resources. And we need help. We're expanding our team of ambitious, curious, and hands-on engineers and operators. Come own large parts of product, company, or business development and help power the world with 100% clean energy.

As a key member of the Robot Software team, you will design and develop high-performance Qt-based GUIs for Human-Machine Interaction (HMI) with Planted Solar’s Semi-Autonomous machines. This role involves hands-on testing in both controlled and field environments to optimize user experience and ensure system reliability. You will build and maintain CI pipelines for desktop apps and HIL testing that provide fast feedback, reproducible builds, and traceable artifacts. You are a software generalist who moves comfortably between UI polish, performance profiling, test automation, and backend integrations to keep the team unblocked. This role offers plenty of room for growth, whether you're interested in data infrastructure, backend services, or diving deeper into core robot telemetry and logic.

This position offers the opportunity to collaborate closely with a highly skilled cross-functional engineering team, taking ownership of projects from ideation to implementation to enhance the usability and reliability of our robotic systems in challenging real-world environments.

The salary range for this full-time position is $120,000 - $155,000 plus stock options and benefits. Pay within the range is based on candidate experience, job-specific skills, education, and work location. The target experience for the position is 3 - 7+ years

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Build and own a user-facing industrial robot GUI/HMI with Qt (C++/Qt Widgets/Qt Quick/QML) or Python (PySide/PyQt): architecture, implementation, testing, and release
• Integrate with robot backends (ROS 2 nodes/services/actions/parameters) for telemetry, command/control, and workflows.
• Conduct hands-on testing of GUIs and input devices in field environments and our testing yard to understand user needs and ensure reliability
• Design UI-adjacent APIs and collaborate with backend teams for telemetry, command/control, and workflows
• Create and run CI for desktop apps and HIL tests; manage artifacts, versioning, and reproducible builds
• Profile and optimize UI performance; implement robust state machines, threading, and signal/slot patterns
• Ensure security and reliability in the UI: role-based views, safe command workflows, and watchdog indicators
• Pitch in where needed like a startup generalist: from quick UX prototypes to low-level performance work, and occasional backend/integration tasks to unblock the team

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in CS, EE, ME, or equivalent
• 3 - 7 years of professional experience in software development
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and teamwork abilities
• Proficiency in designing and developing Qt-based GUIs (C++ or PySide6/PyQt)
• Experience with Python 3.10+ or modern C++ (C++17+) for application development and automation
• Strong understanding of concurrent programming principles
• Well-versed with developing software for Linux environments
• Adept at writing Bash scripts for automation and system management
• Knowledgeable of SQL and database fundamentals
• Familiarity working in Docker containers and container deployment
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills
• Curious demeanor and excited to learn new technologies when necessary
• Prioritizes delivering user value while making pragmatic technical tradeoffs
• Thrives in startup environment as a generalist: comfortable wearing multiple hats, context-switching, and owning work end-to-end under ambiguity
• Based in the SF Bay Area (or willing to relocate) and available on-site 80%.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with pub/sub architectures (ROS 2, MQTT, etc)
• Experience with embedded systems
• Experience with UI testing frameworks and hardware-in-the-loop workflows
• Experience building simple web applications for internal dashboards or tooling

*A note on qualifications: Many people only apply for jobs if they believe they can perform every task in the job description. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job and will consider equivalent combinations of knowledge, skills, education, and experience to meet minimum qualifications. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to think broadly about your background and skill set for the role.

PHYSICAL AND SENSORY REQUIREMENTS

• Mostly desk work using standard office equipment
• The position requires some field work for testing, QA, etc.

• 11 paid company holidays and flexible Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Company-paid in-office lunches
• Stock options
• Medical, vision, dental, and other benefits
• Pre-tax commuter benefits
• 401(k)
• A chance to have an empowered, meaningful, and early role in climate

• You want to solve challenging problems
• You are biased towards action and focus on the vital work that drives the most impact
• You prioritize the physical and psychological safety of yourself and those around you
• You are humble, embrace change, and deliver and receive candid feedback
• You are optimistic about the future and can make tough decisions to help get there
• You have high expectations and coach, develop, and make time to help others

Planted Solar is an equal opportunity employer committed to growing inclusively, regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, medical condition, age, or veteran status. However you identify, or whatever background you bring with you, please apply. We look forward to hearing from you.