Autonomy Engineer: Field Robotics for Watercraft

ETH Zurich; Zürich; On-site; CHF 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

ETH Zurich's Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control seeks an early‑career project staff member to engineer autonomous surface robots for outdoor field work. You will own robot behavior, turn ideas into working software on real hardware, and run field experiments to validate performance.

You will work across sensors, actuators, mechanics and electronics, writing robust code in C/C++ and Python, with ROS/ROS 2, real‑time constraints and multi‑robot coordination.

Qualifications

• About 0-5 years of hands-on experience after your degree; early-career project-staff role.
• Background in robotics, control, mechanical or electrical engineering, computer science, or equivalent practice.
• Evidence you have shipped behaviour on real robots, not only in simulation.
• Hands-on software and hardware work: bench bring-up, field trials, logs and measurements.
• Comfort writing and debugging software that talks to hardware (C/C++, Python, etc.).
• Judgement under incomplete information; independence in working style and documentation.

Responsibilities

• Own the behaviour of physical robots: how they move, hold intent, coordinate and fail gracefully.
• Turn ideas into working software on real hardware, then harden it with experiments you help design and run.
• Work at the seams with sensors, actuators, mechanical limits and electrical realities. Close loops from field evidence back into better behaviour.
• Make testing and commissioning repeatable, not a one-off heroics exercise.
• Share what you learn: clear notes, teachable setups, and room for students and colleagues to build on your work.

Skills

Robotics

Control systems

Embedded programming

Python

C/C++

Education

Engineering degree in robotics/controls/electrical/computer science

Tools

ROS/ROS 2

Real-time systems

Multi-robot coordination

Job description

ETH Zurich's Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control seeks an early‑career project staff member to engineer autonomous surface robots for outdoor field work. You will own robot behavior, turn ideas into working software on real hardware, and run field experiments to validate performance.

You will work across sensors, actuators, mechanics and electronics, writing robust code in C/C++ and Python, with ROS/ROS 2, real‑time constraints and multi‑robot coordination.