Demo

Senior Staff Performance Software Engineer- Atlas

Boston Dynamics
Waltham, MA Full Time
POSTED ON 4/24/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 6/18/2026
Role

We are seeking an experienced Performance Software Engineer to join the Atlas Systems Software Team. You’ll play a key role in making Atlas an amazing, AI-driven robot by squeezing every bit of performance out of the on-board accelerated compute system! This role is for you if you:

  • Enjoy working in a fast-paced environment
  • Are comfortable rapidly prototyping and iterating on solutions
  • Thrive on working independently and on a variety of products

While prior robotics experience is desirable, candidates with experience building optimized software in other industries such as Video Games, Automotive, or Mobile Apps are encouraged to apply.

Key Responsibilities

  • Own and manage the compute performance budget on Atlas and make difficult tradeoff decisions
  • Develop highly optimized real-time software which take advantage of modern GPU and AI accelerator technologies
  • Analyze performance of systems methodically, providing clear identification of bottlenecks and solutions to address them
  • Collaborate with roboticists to find appropriate balances between performance and capability
  • Debug and perform root-cause analysis on complex system failures across simulation, lab, and field environments.
  • Create testing approaches to ensure that hard-won performance gains do not regress

Desired Experience

  • 7 years of C software development in high-performance environments
  • Expertise in performance analysis techniques and tools
  • Linux systems knowledge - process/thread scheduling, IPC systems, and file systems
  • Exposure to image and video processing fundamentals
  • Experience implementing advanced model optimization techniques—such as quantization, pruning, and kernel tuning—to deploy high-performance AI models on resource-constrained GPU or accelerator hardware

Boston Dynamics is a world leader in mobile robots, tackling some of the toughest robotics challenges. For years, our awe-inspiring viral videos on YouTube have shown the world what remarkably capable robots can do. Now we are quickly becoming a recognized leader in automation solutions for industrial applications and warehouse logistics.

We are interested in every qualified candidate who is eligible to work in the United States. However, we are not able to sponsor visas for this position.

The base pay range for this position is between $155,000 to $192,000 annually. Base pay will depend on multiple individualized factors including, but not limited to internal equity, job related knowledge, skills and experience. This range represents a good faith estimate of compensation at the time of posting. Boston Dynamics offers a generous Benefits package including medical, dental vision, 401(k), paid time off and a annual bonus structure. Additional details regarding these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer for employment.

Salary : $155,000 - $192,000

If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution. Compensation Planning
Enhance your organization's compensation strategy with salary data sets that HR and team managers can use to pay your staff right. Surveys & Data Sets

What is the career path for a Senior Staff Performance Software Engineer- Atlas?

Sign up to receive alerts about other jobs on the Senior Staff Performance Software Engineer- Atlas career path by checking the boxes next to the positions that interest you.
Income Estimation: 
$123,167 - $152,295
Income Estimation: 
$146,673 - $180,130
Income Estimation: 
$77,657 - $95,021
Income Estimation: 
$97,257 - $120,701
Employees: Get a Salary Increase
View Core, Job Family, and Industry Job Skills and Competency Data for more than 15,000 Job Titles Skills Library

Job openings at Boston Dynamics

  • Boston Dynamics Waltham, MA
  • Are you passionate about using machine learning to drive robot behavior? Curious what you’d be able to accomplish with total access to Boston Dynamics robo... more
  • 1 Day Ago

  • Boston Dynamics Waltham, MA
  • Location: Waltham, MA (Boston Dynamics HQ) Department: Prototype Operations About Boston Dynamics Boston Dynamics is a global leader in robotics innovation... more
  • 1 Day Ago

  • Boston Dynamics Waltham, MA
  • As a Product Manager for Spot, you help design, build, and ship Boston Dynamics’ end-to-end robotic solutions, including software and hardware features, se... more
  • 1 Day Ago

  • Boston Dynamics Waltham, MA
  • Boston Dynamics is seeking a Commercial Strategy & Execution Leader to act as the primary operational partner to the VP of Sales. As our commercial organiz... more
  • 2 Days Ago


Not the job you're looking for? Here are some other Senior Staff Performance Software Engineer- Atlas jobs in the Waltham, MA area that may be a better fit.

  • Boston Dynamics Waltham, MA
  • Principal Performance Software Engineer- Atlas locations Waltham, MA time type Full time posted on Posted 30+ Days Ago job requisition id R2416 We are seek... more
  • 14 Days Ago

  • Boston Dynamics Waltham, MA
  • As a Senior Staff Electrical Engineer at Boston Dynamics, you will play a pivotal role in the evolution of Atlas, our advanced humanoid robot. You will joi... more
  • 3 Days Ago

AI Assistant is available now!

Feel free to start your new journey!