Senior Robotic Systems Engineer

ABOUT THE ROLE

This is a foundational senior engineering hire at an ambitious early-stage robotics startup in Munich. You will own the core robotics software stack for a fully flexible, intelligent industrial robotic work cell designed to automate some of the most demanding manual tasks in industry — surface finishing, welding, and coating. This is a high-ownership, high-impact role where you will shape architecture decisions and drive the system from prototype to real-world production deployment.

This role is on-site in Munich. Candidates must already be eligible to work in Germany — no visa sponsorship is available.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Own the core robotics software stack of the industrial robotic work cell end-to-end

• Develop and optimize motion planning, trajectory generation, and robot control algorithms

• Integrate perception systems — cameras, force/torque sensors, LiDAR — into real-time control loops

• Implement industrial safety concepts and fail-safe behaviors to production standards

• Lead on-site testing, calibration, and commissioning of the physical system

• Drive software architecture decisions and establish engineering best practices for the team

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

Required

• 5+ years of hands-on experience in robotics engineering, including real-world production or industrial environments (not simulation-only)

• Proven experience with motion planning and trajectory generation for industrial robot arms (e.g. KUKA, ABB, Fanuc, Universal Robots)

• Strong proficiency in C++ and/or Python

• Experience with ROS 2 for robot software development

• Hands-on integration of perception hardware: force/torque sensors, cameras, and/or LiDAR into closed-loop control

• Familiarity with 3D CAD tools such as SolidWorks or CATIA

• Knowledge of industrial communication protocols (e.g. EtherCAT, OPC-UA)

• Currently based in Munich or willing to relocate — this role is on-site only

Nice to Have

• Background in surface finishing, welding, or industrial coating applications

• Experience with kinematics, dynamics, and advanced control theory

• German language skills (not required)

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

• Base salary: €75,000 – €110,000 per year (depending on experience)

• Equity participation: Meaningful equity stake — a genuine differentiator at this stage

• High ownership and direct influence on product and engineering direction

• Small, focused team pushing the frontier of industrial robotics

LOCATION

Munich, Bavaria, Germany — on-site only. Candidates must already hold the right to work in Germany. No remote or hybrid option is available for this role. German language skills are a plus but not a requirement.