Senior Robotic Systems Engineer

About the Role This is a foundational engineering role at an early-stage industrial robotics startup in Munich, building intelligent robotic work cells designed to automate the most demanding manual tasks in industry — surface finishing, welding, and coating. You'll own the core robotics software stack end-to-end, from motion planning through real-world deployment, and have a direct hand in shaping the architecture of a physical product that operates in live production environments. What You'll Do Own and evolve the full robotics software stack for an industrial robotic work cell. Develop and optimise motion planning, trajectory generation, and closed-loop control algorithms. Integrate perception hardware — cameras, force/torque sensors, LiDAR — into real-time control loops. Design and implement industrial safety concepts and fail-safe behaviours. Lead on-site testing, calibration, and commissioning of robot systems. Drive architecture decisions and establish strong engineering practices across the team. What We're Looking For 5+ years of hands-on robotics engineering experience with real robot hardware (e.g. industrial or collaborative arms). Strong foundations in kinematics, dynamics, motion planning, and control theory applied to physical systems — not simulation-only. Production-environment experience with motion planning and trajectory generation for industrial robot arms. Proficiency in C++ and/or Python; comfortable working at the systems level. Experience with ROS 2 and industrial communication protocols such as EtherCAT or OPC-UA is a strong plus. Proficiency in 3D CAD tools (e.g. SolidWorks or CATIA). Background in surface finishing, welding, coating, or related industrial processes is a meaningful advantage. Must be eligible to work in Germany without visa sponsorship. Compensation & Benefits Estimated cash compensation of €75,000 – €110,000 annually, plus meaningful equity participation. Visa sponsorship is not available — candidates must already have the right to work in Germany. Location On-site in Munich, Bavaria, Germany . Remote or hybrid arrangements are not available for this role.