Backend Software Engineer – Human-Robot Interaction

At Pickle Robot, we're on a mission to automate global supply chains with Physical AI. Our robots work alongside warehouse teams to unload trucks and containers — one of the toughest, most understaffed jobs in logistics — making the work safer, faster, and more efficient for the people doing it. As Pickle enters its next phase of growth — scaling fast as a VC-backed company built by a team of MIT roboticists and engineers — we're looking for a Backend Software Engineer to join our Human-Robot Interaction team, focused on building scalable systems that support task planning and robotic workflows. This role sits at the intersection of software engineering and robotics infrastructure. You'll work closely with robotics engineers to design and build backend services that power real-world robotic systems on the warehouse floor. We're looking for a strong software engineer who cares deeply about code quality, system design, and performance — someone who can bring solid backend engineering practices into a robotics environment and isn't afraid to get close to the hardware. At Pickle, your code directly impacts how autonomous robots operate in production warehouses. You'll own meaningful pieces of the stack, collaborate across a tight-knit engineering team, and see the results of your work in the real world. Pay at Pickle At Pickle Robot Company, we believe transparency builds trust. The salary range listed here is provided in accordance with Massachusetts law and reflects what we reasonably and in good faith expect to offer for this role. We often consider candidates at different levels of seniority, and final compensation will reflect the level at which they are hired, along with factors such as experience and location. Pickle provides best-in-class benefits, including health, dental, & vision insurance; unlimited vacation, along with all federal and state holidays; 401K contributions of 5% of your salary; travel supplies; and other items to make your working life more fun, comfortable, and productive. Responsibilities Design and build backend services supporting front-end systems Develop scalable, reliable, and performant systems using Python Contribute to system architecture and service design within the team Build and maintain event-driven systems and messaging-based architectures Collaborate closely with robotics engineers to integrate backend systems with real-world workflows Improve system performance, reliability, and maintainability across services Participate in code reviews and technical discussions to elevate engineering standards Skills & Experience 2-5+ years of experience in backend or distributed systems engineering Strong programming experience in Python Experience building or supporting web applications using Flask or REST API Experience with C++ or another strongly typed language (e.g., Rust, Go, Java) Strong understanding of software architecture, concurrency, and distributed system design Experience building or supporting event-driven systems, messaging frameworks, or service-oriented architectures Experience developing systems that interface with hardware, robotics, or real-world operational environments is a plus Nice to have: Experience working across multiple programming languages Familiarity with distributed systems or microservices architectures Exposure to robotics, autonomy, or hardware-integrated systems Experience with messaging systems (e.g., Kafka, ROS, or similar) Experience with Human-Robot Interaction