Robotics Engineer / Robotics Engineeress

Join the Way of Water Project at ETH Zurich

Become a vital part of the Way of Water, a funded field-robotics initiative at ETH Zurich, under the Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control, Research D'Andrea. This project employee role invites you to engage in meaningful engineering work throughout the project's duration. Our mission is to develop autonomous surface robots that function effectively in challenging environments, overcoming obstacles such as batteries, water, electromagnetic interference (EMI), and the demands of outdoor applications while ensuring long-term serviceability.

About the Role

This position is ideal for an individual with a strong foundation in electronics and embedded systems, who desires ownership beyond a closed schematic brief. You will define the electrical and device layers, including:

• Designing and optimizing boards, power systems, and interfaces
• Bringing systems online and developing firmware for diagnostics
• Collaborating with mechanical and software teams on connectors, grounding, timing, and power budgets
• Partnering with fabricators and technicians to ensure designs transition from the bench to reliable, maintainable units
• Investigating complex faults and transforming field data into clear electrical or firmware solutions

This is an early-career staff role for individuals with approximately 0–5 years of hands-on experience post-degree. Internships, thesis projects, and paid project work will be considered.

Qualifications

• A background in electrical engineering, electronics, embedded systems, or equivalent practical experience
• Evidence of hands-on experience in delivering boards or electronic systems, including design, debugging, and handover
• Practical circuit judgment (both analogue and digital), understanding of board-level power and grounding
• Proficiency in writing embedded or test software (C/C++ and a scripting language) to facilitate system bring-up
• A passion for outdoor testing, including activities on Lake Zürich and partner sites
• An independent working style with documentation habits conducive to team scaling

Your ability to demonstrate tangible achievements and debugging skills will weigh more heavily than adhering to a specific keyword checklist. Experience with battery systems, robotics, environmental testing, EMI/EMC, or small production runs will be viewed favorably.

Professional Development

In this role, you will initially focus on the ownership of electronics and embedded systems. As the project progresses, your responsibilities will extend into system integration, production testing, and reliability assessments under outdoor conditions, while working closely with colleagues in control software and mechanical engineering. Growth within this fixed-term project can lead to broader robotics expertise and potential opportunities with a planned spin-off, should mutual interests align.

Collaboration and Culture

You will collaborate with a dynamic team of renowned entrepreneurs, world-class scientists, and innovative engineers who are true artists in their fields. This team includes individuals who have built multi-billion-dollar companies and sent hardware to the International Space Station, as well as artists who have created live installations at prestigious events like the Venice Biennale.

Apply online using the form below. Only applications matching the job profile will be considered.

Documents Required

• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• One or two examples of boards or electronic systems you have personally delivered, detailing your design contributions, the challenges faced in development, and how you resolved them. Sanitized examples are acceptable.

Further information about the Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control can be found on our website.

Please note that the pre-selection process is carried out by responsible recruiters and not by artificial intelligence.