C++ Control Systems Engineer

Fieldwork Robotics; Cambridge; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working model

On-site parking (UK)

Casual dress

Company events & social activities

Profit sharing / share options

Job summary

Fieldwork Robotics is hiring a ROS 2 C++ Control Systems Engineer to advance our autonomous agricultural platform. You’ll bridge high-level motion planning with real-time motor control, contribute to moving from ROS 1 to ROS 2, and test on real robots in farm environments.

You will design and implement control loops, coordinate with hardware, software, and operations teams, and help ensure deterministic performance across field deployments in the UK and Portugal.

Qualifications

• Proven experience with ROS 2 motion control.
• Minimum 3+ years industry experience in modern C++ (C++11+, C++20 preferred).
• Strong low-level / embedded C++ experience (e.g. CAN interfaces, hardware communication).
• Control systems experience: motor setup, PID tuning, integration testing.
• Background in motion planning and applied mathematics for robotics.
• Linux development experience.
• Strong C++ focus (not Python).

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, test, and maintain C++ software for robotics applications.
• Implement control systems and motion pipelines for robotic arms.
• Collaborate closely with robotics, mechanical, and electronics teams.
• Integrate software with hardware and manufacturing processes.
• Test, debug, and verify code prior to production deployment.
• Conduct real-world testing on Fieldwork robots in polytunnels and farms (UK & Portugal).
• Contribute across the full system lifecycle: concept, design, development, validation, and production transfer.
• Produce clear technical documentation (requirements, test plans, software design).

Skills

ROS 2 motion control

Modern C++ (C++11+/C++20)

Low-level / embedded C++

PID tuning

Motion planning

Applied mathematics for robotics

Linux development

Real-time control

Tools

Gazebo

Isaac Sim

NVIDIA Jetson

Job description

Company Overview

Fieldwork Robotics is a pioneering autonomous robotics company developing modular, multi-crop, soft and adaptive robots designed to operate in real-world, non-controllable environments such as agricultural fields. Our mission is to transform farming through intelligent, scalable robotic systems that improve productivity, sustainability, and efficiency.

We operate a growing R&D headquarters in Cambridge and are establishing a new engineering hub in Lisbon following the incorporation of our Portugal subsidiary. Our teams work collaboratively across hardware, software, and operations to deliver reliable, production-grade autonomous robots.

The Role

We are hiring a ROS 2 C++ Control Systems Engineer to work on the development of our next-generation autonomous agricultural robotics platform. This role sits at the core of robot motion, control, and manipulation — bridging high-level motion planning and low-level real-time motor control.

You will play a key role in the transition of our platform from ROS 1 to ROS 2 and in the development of robotic arm control, coordination, and performance optimisation. This is a hands-on engineering role with real-world deployment impact, including testing on physical robots in operational farm environments.

As a high-growth robotics company, this role oers strong opportunities for technical growth, responsibility expansion, and long-term career development.

What You’ll Be Working On

High-Level Motion & Planning (MoveIt2) in a complex scene

• High-level motion planning
• Collision-free path planning
• Trajectory generation (positions, velocities, accelerations)
• Planning scene management & collision checking

Low-Level Control & Real-Time Systems

• PID control loops
• Motor control and joint-level actuation
• Closing real-time control loops on joints
• Ensuring deterministic, real-time behavior
• Translating planned trajectories into executable motor commands

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, test, and maintain C++ software for robotics applications
• Implement control systems, and motion pipelines for robotic arms
• Collaborate closely with robotics, mechanical, and electronics teams
• Integrate software with hardware and manufacturing processes
• Test, debug, and verify code prior to production deployment
• Conduct real-world testing on Fieldwork robots in polytunnels and farms (UK &Portugal)
• Contribute across the full system lifecycle: concept, design, development, validation, and production transfer
• Produce clear technical documentation (requirements, test plans, software design)

Essential Requirements

• Proven experience with ROS 2 motion control
• Minimum 3+ years industry experience in modern C++ (C++11+, C++20preferred)
• Strong low-level / embedded C++ experience (e.g. CAN interfaces, hardwarecommunication)
• Control systems experience:
  • Motor setup
  • PID tuning
  • Integration testing
• Strong background in:
  • Motion planning
  • Applied mathematics for robotics
• Linux development experience
• Strong C++ focus (this is not a Python role)

Additional / Desirable Skills

• Experience with:
  • Jira and Agile workflows
  • Testing and Quality Engineering
  • Version control with Git
• Simulation & testing tools:
  • Gazebo
  • Isaac Sim
• Hardware integration experience:
  • Embedded robotics platforms (e.g. NVIDIA Jetson)
  • Low Level debugging and communications interfaces
• Experience working on collaborative, multi-developer codebases
• Strong team ethic with ability to work independently and take ownership

What We Offer

• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Profit sharing / share options
• Hybrid working model
• Flexible working hours
• On-site parking (UK)
• Casual dress
• Company events & social activities
• Career progression in a fast-scaling robotics company
• Opportunity to work on real-world autonomous robots deployed in production environments

This role is ideal for engineers who want to work at the intersection of planning, control, and real-world robotics — not simulations only, but physical systems operating in the field.