Junior Systems Engineer

About the Role

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, making the work safer, faster, and more efficient. We are looking for a Junior Systems Engineer to join the team that defines and proves the functionality of our robotic unloading systems. This role involves writing and maintaining system requirements, tracing them from product needs through testing, and authoring design documents and interface definitions for hardware and software teams. This role suits someone early in their career who likes structure, asks precise questions, and wants to learn how a complex robot comes together. You will work closely with Product, Engineering, and the System Verification and Test team, and spend time with the robots to ensure requirements reflect actual system behavior.

Key Responsibilities

• Write and maintain clear, measurable, testable system requirements, and keep the requirements register accurate as designs change.
• Trace product requirements to system requirements and test cases, identify coverage gaps, and drive them to closure.
• Prepare requirements for review and approval with Engineering, Test, and Systems, and work through feedback and rejections to resolution.
• Work with the System Verification and Test team to ensure test cases trace to requirements and that verification coverage is complete.
• Write feature requirements documents that define how each feature works across the robot's subsystems.
• Help develop cross-functional design solutions with mechanical, electrical, and software teams.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Strong sense of ownership: take a problem, see it through to completion, and make things happen without waiting to be asked.
• Precise technical writer: turn an ambiguous need into a requirement someone can build and test against.
• Organized and detail-oriented: comfortable keeping a large body of requirements consistent and up to date.
• Curious about how mechanical, electrical, and software subsystems interact, and willing to dig into the details of each.
• Clear communicator: works well with cross-functional teams and contributes thoughtfully to design reviews.
• Onsite presence is expected at least 3 days per week at our Charlestown, MA offices.

Qualifications

• Typically 0-3 years of experience in systems engineering, robotics, or a related engineering role.
• New graduates are welcome; 1-2 years of industry experience is a plus.
• Internship, co-op, or student project experience where you defined requirements, ran tests, or integrated hardware and software.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Systems Engineering preferred; degrees in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, or a related field will be considered alongside relevant systems engineering experience.

Nice to Have

• Familiarity with Jira or a similar tracking tool
• Exposure to requirements management or test planning
• Python scripting
• Experience with robots or other hardware in a production setting