Field Robotics Control Engineer - Outdoor, Real-World Systems

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

Job summary

ETH Zurich's Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control seeks a project staff member to contribute to Way of Water, a funded field-robotics initiative. You will own robot behaviour, shaping how they move, sense and recover in outdoor environments.

This role is not a PhD or academic track, but hands-on engineering for the life of the project. You will turn ideas into working software on real hardware, run field experiments, and iteratively improve the fleet as software and field programmes grow.

Qualifications

• 0–5 years of hands-on experience after your degree.
• Background in robotics, control, mechanical/electrical engineering, or CS.
• Evidence you have shipped behaviour on real robots, not only simulation.
• Hands-on software development with real hardware: bench bring-up, field trials, logs.
• Proficiency writing and debugging software for hardware (C/C++, Python).
• Independent working style with good documentation.
• Willingness to outdoor/on-water testing; field days on Lake Zürich.
• Experience with ROS/ROS 2 is a plus.

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.
• Work with sensors, actuators, mechanical limits and electrical realities; close loops from field evidence.
• Make testing and commissioning repeatable, not one-off heroics.
• Share what you learn: clear notes, teachable setups, and room for others to build on.

Skills

Robotics

Control systems

Software development

C/C++

Python

Education

Engineering degree in robotics/control/CS

Tools

ROS/ROS 2

Real-time systems

Job description

ETH Zurich's Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control seeks a project staff member to contribute to Way of Water, a funded field-robotics initiative. You will own robot behaviour, shaping how they move, sense and recover in outdoor environments.

This role is not a PhD or academic track, but hands-on engineering for the life of the project. You will turn ideas into working software on real hardware, run field experiments, and iteratively improve the fleet as software and field programmes grow.