Mechatronics Engineer, Robotics Systems

Rogue Cortex; Guildford; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Rogue Cortex in Guildford seeks a Mechatronics Engineer to design, integrate, and validate electromechanical subsystems for mobile robotics platforms. You’ll develop CAD models, PCB schematics, and embedded firmware to drive actuators and sensors, and you’ll own hardware-software interfaces from first article through field testing.

You’ll work hands-on in the lab, debugging cross-domain issues, and collaborating with software engineers to ensure reliable CAN/SPI/I2C communication and robust

Qualifications

• Proficiency in mechanical design and CAD for electromechanical assemblies.
• Proficiency in electronic design and reading/creating schematics.
• Proficiency in embedded C/C++ programming for microcontrollers.
• Hands-on fabrication and prototyping (soldering, 3D printing, basic machining).
• Strong diagnostic skills across mechanical, electrical, and software domains.
• Familiarity with robotics sensors and actuators (BLDC, LiDAR, IMUs).
• Knowledge of serial protocols CAN, SPI, I2C, UART.

Responsibilities

• Design and integrate electromechanical subsystems for mobile robotics platforms.
• Select, characterize, and validate motors, encoders, sensors, and power components.
• Develop CAD models and drawings for mechanical assemblies (SolidWorks/Fusion 360).
• Design or modify PCBs and schematics for interface boards and power regulation.
• Write embedded firmware and drivers in C/C++ to interface with actuators and sensors.
• Build, assemble, and test prototype hardware through field testing.
• Develop and execute test procedures for subsystems (bench, vibration, EMI/EMC).
• Debug cross-domain integration issues and isolate root causes.
• Collaborate with embedded software engineers on hardware-software interfaces and timing.
• Maintain BOMs, assembly procedures, and test reports.

Skills

CAD Design

PCB Design

Embedded C/C++

Soldering

Diagnostics

Sensor integration

CAN/SPI/I2C

Robotic systems

Tools

SolidWorks

Fusion 360

KiCad

Altium

Job description

As a Mechatronics Engineer, Robotics Systems, you work at the boundary where mechanical assemblies, electronics, actuators, and embedded software meet inside a real robot. You design, integrate, and validate the electromechanical subsystems that make our mobile robotics platforms—UAVs, UGVs, USVs—move, sense, and survive in operational environments. You are equally comfortable reading a schematic, modifying a CAD assembly, writing firmware for a motor controller, and standing in a lab with a scope and a soldering iron debugging why a sensor bus just died. If something on the robot involves both atoms and electrons, it is probably yours.

This role is not eligible for UK visa sponsorship. We welcome applications from candidates who already have the right to work in the UK without sponsorship, including those on a Graduate visa, settled or pre-settled status, or other unsponsored visa routes

Duties

• Design and integrate electromechanical subsystems—actuator assemblies, sensor mounts, power distribution, cabling and harnessing, thermal management—for mobile robotics platforms
• Select, characterize, and validate components: motors, servos, ESCs, encoders, IMUs, power supplies, connectors, and related hardware
• Develop and maintain CAD models and drawings for mechanical and electromechanical assemblies (SolidWorks, Fusion 360, or equivalent)
• Design or modify PCBs and electrical schematics for interface boards, sensor breakouts, power regulation, and signal conditioning (KiCad, Altium, or equivalent)
• Write embedded firmware and driver-level software in C/C++ for microcontrollers (STM32, ESP32, or similar) to interface with actuators, sensors, and communication buses (CAN, SPI, I2C, UART)
• Build, assemble, and rework prototype hardware—you are hands-on with your own designs from first article through field testing
• Develop and execute test procedures for electromechanical subsystems: bench testing, environmental stress, vibration, EMI/EMC characterization
• Debug cross-domain integration issues where mechanical, electrical, and software failures compound—isolate root causes and drive them to resolution
• Collaborate with embedded software engineers to define hardware-software interfaces, pin mappings, communication protocols, and timing constraints
• Maintain engineering documentation: BOMs, assembly procedures, test reports, and design rationale

Required Skills

• Proficiency in mechanical design and CAD for electromechanical assemblies—you can design a bracket, a housing, or a harnessing route and produce drawings that can be manufactured
• Proficiency in electrical/electronic design—you can read and create schematics, select components, and design or modify PCBs for low-voltage embedded systems
• Proficiency in embedded C/C++ programming for microcontrollers—you have written firmware that talks to real hardware over real buses
• Hands-on fabrication and prototyping skills: soldering (including SMD rework), 3D printing, basic machining, crimping, cable assembly
• Strong diagnostic and debugging instincts across mechanical, electrical, and software domains—you reach for the right tool (caliper, multimeter, oscilloscope, logic analyzer, GDB) depending on where the problem lives
• Working knowledge of common robotics sensors and actuators: BLDC motors, servos, LiDAR, cameras, IMUs, GPS/GNSS receivers
• Familiarity with serial communication protocols: CAN, SPI, I2C, UART, RS-485

Nice to Have

• Prior experience building or integrating UAV, UGV, or USV platforms
• Experience with ROS/ROS2 and bridging microcontroller firmware to linux-based robotics stacks
• Experience with FEA, CFD, or other simulation tools for mechanical or thermal validation
• Familiarity with DFM/DFA principles and working with contract manufacturers to move from prototype to production
• Experience with power system design for battery-powered mobile platforms: battery management, power budgeting, voltage regulation
• Familiarity with environmental and military standards (MIL-STD-810, IP ratings, MIL-STD-461)
• Experience with version control for hardware design files and firmware (Git, PLM systems)