R&D Robotics and Physical AI Engineer (Saginaw, MI, US) @ Nexteer Automotive Corporation

Position: R&D Robotics and Physical AI Engineer At Nexteer, our strength lies in the diversity of our team—each member contributing unique backgrounds, experiences, and aspirations. We believe this diversity fuels our innovation, broadens our perspectives, and propels our collective growth. For over a century, we’ve been innovators in the automotive industry. Our vision is clear - we are a global leading motion control technology company accelerating mobility to be safe, green and exciting. Our unwavering commitment to Quality, Collaboration, Integrity, and Accountability guides us as we solve motion control challenges for our global customers. If you’re ready to join a dynamic team that drives change and makes a difference, Nexteer welcomes you!

About the Role

We are looking for a highly self-motivated individual who is ready to take on a technology development and innovation role. The candidate should possess good attention to detail, good mentorship ability, be creative, and possess good time management skills. The Engineer will contribute to the development of next-generation humanoid robotic systems and Physical AI technologies. This role spans the complete robotics stack, from actuator development and embedded control systems to perception, motion generation, robot learning, and autonomous behavior. The successful candidate will work on programs aimed at enabling robust manipulation, mobility, and autonomous task execution in complex environments.

The position offers opportunities to transition novel concepts from modeling and simulation to physical prototypes, and then ultimately to deployable robotic systems. The candidate will also be responsible for coordinating cross-functional projects with multiple technical groups within the organization, supporting the organization in areas that require analysis and development of new concepts. Developing frameworks for verification of deployable robotic systems is an important part of this role.

Key Responsibilities

• As an R&D Robotics and Physical AI Engineer, you will be responsible to: Design, develop, and validate robotic hardware and software architecture.
• Contribute to actuator, sensing, embedded control and communication development for advanced robotic platforms.
• Support system integration, testing, and performance optimization.
• Modeling and implementation of algorithms for body control, motion planning, manipulation, balance and coordination.
• Implement trajectory generation and model-based control strategies.
• Evaluate performance in simulation and hardware environments.
• Develop world models that support autonomous decision-making through perception.
• Apply reinforcement learning, imitation learning, supervised learning, and foundation-model-based methods to robotic autonomy problems.
• Develop simulation-to-hardware transfer methodologies.
• Enforcing the technology development process for technical projects from research through to production implementation.
• Calibration, testing and validation of robotic systems requirements as well as correcting deficiencies in designs and prototypes.
• Effectively integrates all aspects of a design through multi-disciplinary engineering.
• Stays abreast of new technology and recent developments and trends in the research and academic arena related to Learning and Physical AI.

Required Qualifications

• Practical knowledge of robot kinematics, dynamics, controls, state estimation, motion planning and reinforcement learning.
• Strong programming skills in Python and/or C++ in Linux and Windows environments.
• Experience with robotics middleware and distributed robotic software architecture such as ROS 2.
• Exposure to robot simulation and digital-twin environments such as Gazebo and Isaac Lab.
• Familiarity with machine learning, reinforcement learning, or computer vision techniques.
• Experience with software version control and collaborative development workflows.
• Knowledge of CAD software and Simulink for system level simulation is a plus.
• Understanding of manufacturing and design trade-offs are desirable.
• Excellent problem-solving techniques.
• Knowledge of system synthesis, analysis and verification techniques.
• Good organization and documentation abilities Ability to manage & support multiple activities (time management skills).
• Strong work ethic.
• Ability to coordinate and run efficient meetings.
• Ability to communicate effectively worldwide.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and with others across multidisciplinary teams.
• Proficiency with Microsoft office tools (Excel, Word, Powerpoint).
• Must be able to look at computer screen/monitor for extended periods of time Education Requirements MS or PhD in Engineering fields related to Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science or Mechatronics.

Nexteer is an Equal Opportunity Employer Disabled/Minorities/Veterans/Women Nexteer is an E-Verify employer. E-Verify is an internet-based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that allows participating employees to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees in the United States. Accessibility for Applicants with Disabilities: If you need a reasonable accommodation for the online application process due to a disability, please email [email protected].

Please provide your contact information and details about the posted position of interest. Only inquiries regarding assistance for those who need an accommodation with the online application process due to a disability will be returned. About Nexteer Nexteer Automotive is a global leader in advanced steering and motion control systems, enabling intuitive, safe, and comfortable mobility for drivers around the world. Our innovative product portfolio includes Electric Power Steering (EPS), Steer-by-Wire™, Driveline, and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) technologies that support electrification, software-defined vehicles, and autonomous driving.

With approximately 13,000 employees and operations in more than 20 manufacturing plants and multiple technical centers globally, Nexteer partners with nearly every major global and regional automotive manufacturer. Employment Agencies Employment agencies are an important component of our talent acquisition strategy, and we value the partnerships we have built with our preferred vendors. We will not accept unsolicited resumes from employment agencies for any employment opportunity. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at Nexteer Automotive or directly to hiring managers in any form without a signed Nexteer Automotive Agency Agreement on file, and search engagement for that position, will be deemed unsolicited in nature, and no fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired as a result of the referral or through other means.

Additionally, any resume submitted without a contract in place will be considered Nexteer Automotive property and no fees will be paid to the agency if the candidate is hired. Please note, agency agreements will only be valid if in writing and signed by a member of Nexteer’s Human Resources team. No other Nexteer employee is authorized to bind Nexteer to any agreement regarding the placement of candidates by an agency.