Principal Architect – Robotics & Hardware Abstraction

Chemify Ltd; Glasgow; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Chemify Ltd in Glasgow is seeking a Principal Robotics Architect to lead the Hardware Abstraction Layer and align hardware and software for scalable edge robotics.

You will design HAL, drive edge-first safety, and guide architectural decisions across hardware and software teams, reporting directly to the CTO. This role blends embedded C++ expertise with distributed systems and robotics middleware in a rapidly scaling biotech-robotics environment.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of C/C++ in safety-critical or robotics/industrial domains.

Responsibilities

• Architect the Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) and define clear cloud vs embedded boundaries.
• Design a resilient, edge-first control backbone for real-time operation across a fleet of robotic platforms.
• Move intelligence to the edge and ensure safe, predictable behavior under latency constraints.
• Lead the design of edge-first safety systems and develop simulation and digital twin capabilities.
• Shape technical strategy and align architecture with near-term delivery and long-term scalability.
• Mentor and lead cross-disciplinary teams across chemists, hardware, and software.

Skills

Embedded C/C++

ROS 2

Distributed systems

Edge computing

Safety-critical systems

Technical leadership

Tools

NATS

MQTT

Docker

Ansible

protobuf

GraphQL

REST

gRPC

Job description

Principal Architect – Robotics & Hardware Abstraction

Principal Robotics Architect | Hardware Abstraction | Embedded C++ | ROS2 Specialist.

Location: Glasgow

Workstyle: Hybrid

Reports to: CTO

About Chemify:

Chemify is revolutionising chemistry. We are creating a future where the synthesis of previously unimaginable molecules, drugs, and materials is instantly accessible. By combining AI, robotics, and the world’s largest continually expanding database of chemical programs, we are accelerating chemical discovery to improve quality of life and extend the reach of humanity.

Our newly opened Chemifarm facility in Glasgow operates a growing fleet of advanced robotic systems that automate synthesis, optimisation, and library generation. As we scale up to globally distributed facilities, we are undertaking a foundational transformation of how software and hardware interact across our platform.

The Role

We are seeking a Principal Robotics Architect to lead one of the most critical technical evolutions in Chemify’s history. Sitting within the Office of the CTO, you will act as the architectural bridge between Hardware Engineering and Software Engineering, shaping how our robots, control systems, and cloud services work together as a coherent whole.

Your mission is to define a robust Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) that enables our universal chemical code (xDL) to run reliably across multiple generations of robotic platforms. You will help transform our systems from bespoke scientific instruments into intelligent, safe, and continuously updatable edge computing platforms that can operate at scale.

If you enjoy problem solving complex technical challenges that blend system architecture, embedded engineering, distributed systems, and strategic leadership, are a natural communicator and are energized by working closely with scientists using cutting edge technologies, then we’d love to welcome you to our team.

Key Responsibilities

Architect the Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL)

• Define a clear, contract-first architecture that cleanly separates responsibilities between cloud services and embedded control systems.
• Design a resilient, event-driven control backbone (NATS/MQTT) capable of supporting real-time operation across a distributed fleet of robotic platforms.
• Move the intelligence to the edge. Establish a principled division between cloud-level intent and edge-level execution, ensuring predictable and safe behaviour even under network latency or connectivity constraints.

Drive Software-Defined Robotics

• Lead the design of edge-first safety systems, where critical thermal, pressure, and operational limits are enforced close to the hardware.
• Develop high-fidelity simulation and digital twin capabilities, allowing large-scale testing and validation of chemical workflows before any physical execution.
• Modernise embedded engineering practices across the organisation, including secure firmware delivery, structured testing, over the air updates (OTA) and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) Ci/CD pipelines.

Shape Technical Strategy

• Work closely with Hardware, Software, and Scientific teams to align architecture with both near-term delivery and long-term platform scalability.
• Influence technical roadmaps, standards, and architectural decisions across the organisation.
• Serve as a technical leader and mentor, raising the bar for system design, reliability, and safety across Chemify.

About You

You are a rare hybrid: equally at home deep in embedded C++ as you are designing distributed systems that span edge devices and cloud infrastructure. You understand that in robotics, reliability and latency are not just performance concerns — they are fundamental safety constraints.

We expect you to bring:

• Embedded Mastery: 8+ years of C/C++ in safety-critical or physically consequential domains such as robotics, automotive, aerospace, or industrial automation.
• Strong systems thinking: Demonstrated experience designing clear boundaries between edge devices and cloud services in complex, real-world systems.
• Robotics middleware experience: Familiarity with modern robotics or real-time control frameworks and patterns (ROS 2 or DDS-base systems).
• Distributed systems: Expert-level knowledge of Python, REST, GraphQL, gRPC, protobuf, Docker, Ansible and message buses (NATS, Kafka or RabbitMQ).
• Architectural judgement: The ability to make principled trade-offs between performance, safety, maintainability, and scalability.
• Collaborative leadership: You can align chemists, mechanical engineers, and software engineers around a shared technical vision and practical path forward.

Why Join Chemify?

Impact:

You will help build the infrastructure that enables digital chemistry at scale — accelerating discovery, improving reproducibility, and unlocking new possibilities in science and medicine.

Autonomy:

Reporting directly to the CTO, you will have meaningful influence over the technical direction and architectural strategy of a Series B deep-tech rocket ship.

Ambition:

We are scaling rapidly, investing in world-class infrastructure, and tackling problems that sit at the frontier of robotics, AI, and chemistry. You will have the resources and mandate to build the right foundations for the future.

Principal Architect – Robotics & Hardware Abstraction