Hardware Interface Software Engineer

Amazon RIVR is a robotics company pioneering Physical AI through real-world doorstep delivery. Founded in 2024 as an ETH Zurich spin-off, RIVR developed wheeled-legged robots designed to operate in complex, unstructured environments such as stairs, gates, doors, and uneven urban terrain. We believe that achieving general physical intelligence requires solving real customer problems in the real world, where robots can learn from rich operational data at scale.

Following our acquisition by Amazon in March 2026, we are continuing this mission with greater reach and speed. By combining custom robot hardware, onboard autonomy, and cloud-based coordination, Amazon RIVR is building the next generation of safe, reliable autonomous robots for last-mile delivery

Job Description

As a Hardware Interface Software Engineer, you will be the vital link between our high-level autonomy stack and the physical hardware that moves our robots. Your mission is to build the robust, low-latency software bridges that translate AI-driven intent into physical action.

You will collaborate closely with the Embedded Systems team to define communication protocols and with the Autonomy team to ensure they have seamless, high-frequency access to sensor data and motor control. Your expertise in hardware abstraction, driver development, real-time systems, and control theory will ensure that our wheeled-legged robots navigate the world with precision and reliability.

What you’ll be doing

• Design and implement the software interfaces that decouple our high-level autonomy stack from specific hardware implementations.

• Write and maintain high-performance drivers for sensors and actuators.

• Implement and optimize communication protocols (e.g., CAN, Ethernet, SPI) to ensure minimal latency and maximum reliability.

• Perform system identification of actuator characteristics and optimize the performance of our control loops.

• Conduct lab testing and use debugging tools to troubleshoot complex issues at the boundary of software and hardware.

• Develop software-level safety monitors and emergency-stop logic to protect both the robot and its environment.

• Improve our Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) testing pipelines to make sure the simulated behavior matches the real system as close as possible.

• Create and maintain documentation and follow best practices to disseminate knowledge within the team.

What you must have

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Robotics, Control, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.

• A minimum of three years of industry experience (or PhD equivalent) focusing on the software-hardware interface.

• Experience with deploying and testing software on hardware platforms.

• Proficiency in modern C++ for production-level, performance-critical systems.

• Proficiency in Python for rapid algorithm development and data analysis.

• Experience with ROS/ROS2 (Robot Operating System) as robotics middleware.

• Strong understanding of Linux, including system configuration, kernel drivers and network stack.

• Good understanding of control theory for robotic actuators.

• Familiarity with interfacing with embedded components and understanding hardware datasheets.

Get some bonus points

• PhD or Master’s degree specializing in Robotic Control, Real-Time Systems or Mechatronics.

• Specific experience with the unique control challenges of legged or hybrid wheel-legged systems.

• Experience with hardware interface frameworks in ROS2, e.g. ros2_control

• Familiarity with functional safety standards for autonomous vehicles or industrial robots.

Amazon RIVR is committed to building a diverse and inclusive team that values every perspective. If you’re passionate about driving innovation in robotics and creating meaningful impact, we encourage you to apply and bring your unique self to our team.   We believe the best work is done when collaborating and therefore require in-person presence in our office locations.