Robotics - Mechanical Engineer

ETH Zurich; Zürich; On-site; CHF 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

ETH Zurich’s Way of Water project seeks an early‑career project staff member to own mechanical hardware for autonomous surface robots. You will shape the platform, from structure to seals, with hands‑on building, testing outdoors, and iterative improvements driven by field lessons.

The role emphasizes practical engineering, collaboration with electronics and software, and strong documentation to enable rapid team scaling in a funded project.

Qualifications

• Degree in mechanical engineering or related field with hands-on hardware experience.
• Experience taking hardware from concept to tested object and prototypes.
• Ability to design for manufacture, sealing, assembly and service in mind.

Responsibilities

• Own the physical robot: structure, mechanisms, enclosures, mounts and buildability.
• Design with manufacture, assembly, sealing and service in mind and prove with prototypes.
• Collaborate with electronics and software on space, heat, cables, and water exposure.
• Coordinate with workshops, suppliers and technicians to turn drawings into assemblies.
• Document models, revisions and build notes for future teams.

Skills

Mechanical engineering

Mechatronics

Robotics

Hardware integration

CAD judgement

Prototyping

Documentation

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or related field

Tools

CAD software

Job description

Join Way of Water, a funded field-robotics project at ETH Zurich (Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control, Research D'Andrea). This is a project employee (staff) role: you come in to deliver engineering work for the life of the project. It is not a PhD position and not an academic training track. We build autonomous surface robots that have to survive rain, spray, transport, and real water, then come back for the next campaign.

This role is for someone with a mechanical and hardware bent who wants ownership, not a fixed drawing list. You will shape the physical platform: structure, mechanisms, sealing, mounts, and how things get built and fixed. The brief will widen as designs move from prototype to fleet and as field lessons rewrite assumptions. Specialization helps you start strong. Curiosity across the stack is how you grow into more.

Compensation is competitive for a funded project role and depends on experience.

• Own the physical robot: structure, mechanisms, enclosures, mounts and the path from idea to a part that can be built again.
• Design with manufacture, assembly, sealing and service in mind. Then prove it with prototypes, fixtures and tests, including outdoors.
• Work at the seams with electronics and software: space, connectors, heat, cables, access, and what happens when water and vibration show up.
• Partner with workshops, suppliers and technicians so drawings turn into reliable assemblies and field issues turn into controlled changes.
• Leave a trail: clear models, revisions and build notes so the next person (including future you) can move faster.

Profile

• About 0–5 years of hands‑on experience after your degree. Internships, thesis projects, Focus projects and paid project work count. This is an early‑career project‑staff role.
• A background in mechanical engineering, mechatronics, robotics or equivalent practical engineering experience.
• Evidence you have taken hardware from concept to a tested object others can build or maintain. CAD judgement, materials, fits and manufacturing choices included.
• Hands‑on work is required, not optional: you build, assemble, debug and test physical hardware yourself — prototypes on the bench and outdoors, failure diagnosis, iteration from measurements rather than from opinion alone.
• Enough fluency with electronics packaging and software‑facing constraints to collaborate without waiting for perfect handoffs.
• Appetite for outdoor and on‑water testing. Field days are part of the job, including Lake Zürich and partner sites.
• An independent working style, and documentation habits that help a small team scale.

We care more about finished hardware and sound judgment than about a matching keyword list. Experience with sealed or outdoor equipment, small batches, robotics mechanisms, or light electronics is welcome if you have it.

We offer

How you grow here

You start with mechanical ownership. Over the project, the work naturally reaches into electromechanical integration, design-for-reliability, supplier management, fleet maintenance and campaign logistics. Control and electronics colleagues own their layers. You learn enough of theirs to design for the whole robot. Growth here means broader robotics craft and ownership inside a fixed‑term project. There may separately be an opportunity to join a planned spin-off early if that is a mutual fit after or alongside project delivery.

Working with the team

You will also work closely with established entrepreneurs, world‑class scientists, and engineers who are artists. They are people who have built a billion‑dollar company, sent hardware to the International Space Station, and created live performance‑art installations at the Venice Biennale.

In line with our values , ETH Zurich encourages an inclusive culture. We promote equality of opportunity, value diversity and nurture a working and learning environment in which the rights and dignity of all our staff and students are respected. Visit our Equal Opportunities and Diversity website to find out how we ensure a fair and open environment that allows everyone to grow and flourish. Sustainability is a core value for us – we are consistently working towards a climate‑neutral future .

Curious? So are we.

We would like to point out that the pre-selection is carried out by the responsible recruiters and not by artificial intelligence.

ETH Zurich is one of the world’s leading universities specialising inscience and technology. We are renowned for our excellent education,cutting‑edge fundamental research and direct transfer of new knowledgeinto society. Over 30,000 people from more than 120 countries find ouruniversity to be a place that promotes independent thinking and anenvironment that inspires excellence. Located in the heart of Europe,yet forging connections all over the world, we work together todevelop solutions for the global challenges of today and tomorrow.