---
title: 'Robotics Autonomy Engineer-Planning and Control - Federal at FieldAI'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/robotics-autonomy-engineer-planning-and-control-federal-fieldai-irvine-00k3zqwx5qa7'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-10'
---

# Robotics Autonomy Engineer-Planning and Control - Federal at FieldAI

- **Company:** FieldAI
- **Location:** Irvine, CA
- **Compensation:** $100k–$200k
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-09-08
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-10
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/field-ai/ab84f5f7-8c84-4a71-835f-752bffe48de1

## Job description

Who are We? Field AIis transforming how robots interact with the real world. We are building risk-aware, reliable, and field-ready AI systems that address the most complex challenges in robotics, unlocking the full potential of embodied intelligence. We go beyond typical data-driven approaches or pure transformer-based architectures, and are charting a new course, with already-globally-deployed solutions delivering real-world results and rapidly improving models through real-field applications. Learn more at https://fieldai.com.

## About the Job

Field AI is building the future of autonomy, from rugged terrain to real-world deployment. We are on a mission to develop intelligent, adaptable robotic systems that operate beyond simulation and thrive in unpredictable environments. As our Robotics Autonomy Engineer – Planning and Control, you will design, implement, and deploy advanced motion planning and control algorithms that enable our robots to move with precision, robustness, and efficiency across diverse environments. You will work on navigation, trajectory generation, and motion control for robotic platforms ranging from wheeled and legged systems to complex humanoid architectures. If enabling robots to navigate challenging, dynamic environments excites you, and you want to work where your code works in the physical world - this is your role. This is Field AI.

## What You’ll Get To Do

1. Develop Robust Motion Planning Algorithms Design, develop, and refine motion and navigation planning algorithms for challenging real-world scenarios such as narrow passages, dynamic obstacles, and complex environments. Design optimization-driven approaches for path and trajectory generation that ensure smooth, reliable, and efficient robot navigation across modalities. Ensure scalability, reusability, and adaptability of planning approaches across diverse deployment contexts.
2. Advance Control and Planning Integration Develop and tune control algorithms that ensure precise trajectory tracking and stable operation across different robotic systems. Collaborate across autonomy layers to ensure seamless coordination between perception, planning, and control for robust real-world performance.
3. Validate and Test Across the Stack Build and maintain testing pipelines from unit-level validation to full robot deployment. Utilize simulation and testing environments for algorithm evaluation, benchmarking, and regression validation. Analyze real-world telemetry to diagnose issues, identify improvements, and enhance algorithm robustness.
4. Diagnose and Improve Field Performance Investigate and resolve issues arising from field deployments through structured data analysis and debugging. Deliver targeted improvements that address specific challenges while maintaining general-case reliability and performance.

## What You Have

PhD degree in Robotics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field with 2+ years of industry or applied research experience or MS degree in a related field with 4+ years of relevant experience, or BS degree in a related field with 8+ years of relevant experience. Strong understanding of motion planning, trajectory generation, and control systems. Experience developing algorithms for one or more robotic systems (wheeled, legged, wheeled-legged, humanoid). Familiarity with motion planning libraries like OMPL, MoveIt, Nav2 stack etc Solid programming skills in C++ and Python on Linux-based systems. Familiarity with robotics middleware such as ROS/ROS 2. Experience with robot sensors including LiDARs, stereo/depth cameras, IMUs, GPS, wheel encoders. The Extras That Set You Apart Exposure to real-world deployment of autonomous systems. Background in optimization, control, or numerical methods for trajectory planning. Familiarity with learning-based or hybrid planning approaches. Contributions to open-source planning or control frameworks. Familiarity with safety-critical autonomy and industrial robotics use cases.

## Compensation

The salary range for this role is $70,000-$300,000. The actual offer for this position will be based on factors such as relevant experience, competencies, certifications, and how well the candidate meets the qualifications outlined above. Part of our compensation package also includes full benefits, equity, and generous time.

Why Join Field AI? We are solving one of the world’s most complex challenges: deploying robots in unstructured, previously unknown environments. Our Field Foundational Models™ set a new standard in perception, planning, localization, and manipulation, ensuring our approach is explainable and safe for deployment. You will have the opportunity to work with a world-class team that thrives on creativity, resilience, and bold thinking. Witha decade-long track record of deploying solutions in the field, winning DARPA challenge segments, and bringing expertise from organizations like DeepMind, NASA JPL, Boston Dynamics, NVIDIA, Amazon, Tesla Autopilot, Cruise Self-Driving, Zoox, Toyota Research Institute, and SpaceX, we are set to achieve our ambitious goals. Be Part of the Next Robotics Revolution To tackle such ambitious challenges, we need a team as unique as our vision — innovators who go beyond conventional methods and are eager to tackle tough, uncharted questions. We’re seeking individuals who challenge the status quo, dive into uncharted territory, and bring interdisciplinary expertise. Our team requires not only top AI talent but also exceptional software developers, engineers, product designers, field deployment experts, and communicators. We are headquartered in always-sunny Irvine, Southern California and have US based and global teammates. Join us, shape the future, and be part of a fun, close-knit team on an exciting journey! We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Candidates and employees are always evaluated based on merit, qualifications, and performance. We will never discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.

## About FieldAI

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: FieldAI is building the first risk-aware, physics-first foundation model (the Field Foundation Model) that makes robots autonomous in complex, unstructured, and safety-critical real-world environments.
- **Entity Type**: Private (latest funding: Venture Round / Corporate Round; total funding ~$497M)
- **Headquarters**: Irvine, California, United States (with an office in Mission Viejo)
- **Founded**: 2023 (originally known as "AI for Humanity")
- **Founders**: Dr. Ali Agha (CEO) – former NASA JPL Principal Investigator and DARPA challenge winner; Dr. Shayegan Omidshafiei (President & Chief Scientific Officer) – former DeepMind Research Scientist

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Robotics Engineering / Artificial Intelligence (Embodied AI)
- **Target customers**: B2B, Enterprise, Government / Federal agencies, Commercial field operators (construction, industrial, urban operations, mission-critical)
- **Mission / purpose**: "Deploy autonomous robots at scale in any unstructured environment" without reliance on GPS, maps, or pre-trained routes.

## Products & Services
- **[Field Foundation Model (FFM)](https://www.fieldai.com/careers)**: An AI platform that acts as the "general-purpose brain" for robots. It combines data-driven learning with physics-based methods, assesses uncertainty, establishes risk, and adapts autonomously in field conditions. Works across any robot type and continuously improves through a virtuous data flywheel.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Key Metric (Total Funding)**: ~$497M across multiple rounds (Seed: $91M, Venture rounds, Corporate round led by Hyundai Motor Group, Series A: $980K led by Temasek Holdings and Prysm Capital) [[linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/fieldai)] [[cbinsights.com](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/field-ai)]
- **Notable Investors / Partners**: Hyundai Motor Group (corporate round lead), Temasek Holdings, Prysm Capital, plus other visionary institutions.
- **Growth Signals**:
  - Headcount of 217 employees (+227.8% YoY) [[linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/fieldai)]
  - LinkedIn followers grew +580.4% in the last year (51,728 total) [[linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/fieldai)]
  - Technology deployed globally for a decade – from 900 feet underground to advanced commercial, federal, and mission-critical operations [[fieldai.com/careers](https://www.fieldai.com/careers)]
  - Won segments of the DARPA Subterranean Challenge (Urban phase) [[fieldai.com/team](https://www.fieldai.com/team)]

## Competitive Advantages
- **First risk-aware, physics-first foundation model** – unlike pure data-driven or transformer-only approaches.
- **Field-proven reliability** – systems work without GPS, maps, or pre-programmed routes, and dynamically adapt to uncertainty.
- **Virtuous data flywheel** – each deployment increases model reliability across the entire fleet.
- **Exceptional team** – drawn from DeepMind, NASA JPL, Boston Dynamics, Nvidia, Amazon, Tesla Autopilot, Cruise, Zoox, Toyota Research Institute, and SpaceX [[fieldai.com/team](https://www.fieldai.com/team)]
- **Strong IP & DARPA pedigree** – led by veterans who have shaped the field of autonomous robotics for nearly two decades.

## Strategic Focus
- **Scale deployment** of the Field Foundation Model across commercial, industrial, and federal sectors.
- **Expand federal division** (FieldAI Federal) led by former DARPA PM and Toyota Research Institute exec Dr. Eric Krotkov [[fieldai.com/team](https://www.fieldai.com/team)]
- **Hire top-tier talent** in embodied AI, software engineering, robotics hardware, and field operations to accelerate product development and real-world impact [[fieldai.com/careers](https://www.fieldai.com/careers)]

## Why Work Here
- **Impact**: Directly shape how intelligent systems operate in the real world – from underground mines to urban search-and-rescue.
- **Culture**: "Creativity, resilience, and bold thinking" – a supportive environment that encourages pushing beyond conventional methods [[fieldai.com/careers](https://www.fieldai.com/careers)].
- **Team**: Work alongside world-class researchers and engineers from DeepMind, NASA JPL, Boston Dynamics, and leading autonomy companies.
- **Resources**: Backed by over $100M in funding with strong institutional support – rapid execution and fast-paced growth.
- **Work model**: Likely office-centric given the hardware/robotics focus; headquarters in Irvine, CA, with a distributed presence across 9 countries (US, India, Singapore, Japan, Spain, etc.) [[linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/fieldai)].
- **Perks / recognition**: Rated 4.5/5 on employer reviews (16 reviews), with top marks for Culture (4.3) and Career (4.4) [[linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/fieldai)].

## Sources
1. [fieldai.com/careers](https://www.fieldai.com/careers)
2. [linkedin.com/company/fieldai](https://www.linkedin.com/company/fieldai)
3. [fieldai.com/team](https://www.fieldai.com/team)
4. [cbinsights.com/company/field-ai](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/field-ai)
5. [jobs.lever.co/field-ai](https://jobs.lever.co/field-ai)

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