Tech Lead / Team Lead Robotics Software (AMR)

About the Role We are looking for a hands-on Tech Lead to own the software “brain” of our Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs). This is a Principal Engineer role with leadership responsibility — not a traditional management position. You will design and build systems that operate in real industrial environments, not just simulations — combining deep robotics engineering (ROS, SLAM, navigation) with system architecture and technical leadership. What You’ll Do - Own and evolve the robotics software architecture, including navigation, localization, and safety - Debug complex system issues hands-on, rather than delegating them - Drive R&D initiatives such as map handling, odometry, and multi-floor navigation - Lead and mentor the robotics team through technical authority - Work closely with real customer deployments in industrial environments Requirements What You Bring A Strong Robotics Engineering Foundation - Hands-on experience in navigation, SLAM, or localization - Exposure to perception (object detection, sensor processing, environment understanding) is a plus - A track record of building production-grade systems, not just prototypes - Comfort with real-world problems such as localization drift, sensor noise, and navigation edge cases Systems Thinking - An architect’s mindset — you think in systems, not just features - Strong understanding of distributed robotic systems - Experience with ROS1 ↔ ROS2 migration and bridging - Familiarity with containerized robotics stacks (Docker) - Ability to make architectural decisions and clearly explain trade-offs between performance, robustness, and maintainability Technical Leadership - A natural ability to lead through technical authority rather than hierarchy - Skill in facilitating design discussions and aligning engineers on architecture - An aptitude for structuring and breaking down complex problems A Hands-On Mindset - Active, ongoing coding in Python and C++ - A genuine interest in debugging real, system-level issues - Around 60–70% of your time spent hands-on in engineering, not coordination Must-Have Skills Robotics / Core Tech Programming Systems - Strong experience with ROS1 and ROS2 - Navigation stack (Nav2 / move_base) - SLAM / localization (e.g. LOAM, AMCL, LIO-SAM) - Sensor fusion (LiDAR + IMU at minimum) - Python (primary language) - C++ (mandatory) - Rust (ideal, not required) - Linux (Ubuntu, debugging) - Git workflows and CI/CD Nice to Have - Experience with industrial AMRs - Knowledge of VDA 5050 and fleet manager integration - Multi-robot systems / fleet management - Safety and risk-prevention knowledge (e.g. ISO 3691-4) - Simulation experience (Gazebo / Ignition) - Docker / container-based robotics architectures Where You Might Come From - AMR / AGV companies (e.g. KUKA, ABB, MiR, Fetch, Locus Robotics) - Robotics startups - Autonomous driving, if your navigation and systems focus is strong Benefits Why This Role High Technical Impact: Your software directly controls robots operating in production environments. End-to-End Ownership: From architecture through implementation, deployment, and real-world behavior. High Complexity: SLAM, navigation, multi-robot coordination, and real-world constraints keep the work genuinely challenging. Freedom to Shape Architecture: You will have strong influence over technical direction. A True Hybrid Role: Deep technical work combined with real leadership impact. Compensation Senior Level