Senior Robotics Engineer

Roboverse Reply is the Reply Group company specialising in robotics integration for complex outdoor environments. Our mission is to empower organisations in complex outdoor sectors to confidently adopt robotics through expert consulting, seamless integration, and rigorous testing — ensuring that technology always serves the business. We work across Agriculture, Construction, Defence, Energy, and Facilities & Infrastructure Management, delivering end-to-end robotics solutions that drive measurable ROI and sustainable business growth. We are not just deploying hardware — we sell organisational change enabled by advanced robotics, bridging the gap between cutting‑edge technology and real‑world operational impact.

We are in our Year 1 foundation phase, building the core team and technology stack that will underpin everything we do. This is a rare opportunity to join at the very beginning and shape a business from the ground up.

Role Overview

As a Senior Robotics Engineer, you will play a foundational role focused on sensing, perception, and their integration within data and control architectures for outdoor robotics systems. You will work across multiple levels of abstraction, from low‑level sensor integration and custom perception pipelines to high‑level integration of OEM perception stacks with enterprise systems. You will apply strong fundamentals to develop components such as sensor fusion pipelines, detection models, and localisation solutions, while also evaluating and integrating third‑party technologies. As part of a small, multidisciplinary team, you will contribute to shaping the technical direction during the company’s foundation phase.

This is an opportunity where you will help shape the technical direction of the practice, working on real‑world robotics challenges across multiple sectors, with the backing of the Reply Group and exposure to cutting‑edge projects in outdoor, unstructured environments. The role combines remote work, client site engagement, and team collaboration, while offering ongoing professional development, and the opportunity to contribute to core product and consulting capability development. This is a hybrid‑based role with regular field testing at outdoor sites.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain the core ROS 2 software stack for outdoor robotics, establishing the foundational architecture that underpins all Roboverse Reply solutions
• Integrate sensing and perception systems on outdoor robotic platforms at various levels of abstraction — from configuring and calibrating individual sensors, through developing perception and AI inference pipelines to connecting OEM perception outputs with client enterprise systems
• Advise on field connectivity and data routing strategies, considering the trade‑offs between available wireless and satellite options in terms of bandwidth, latency, reliability, and cost for each deployment scenario
• Support localisation integration, including working with GNSS‑based positioning, sensor fusion approaches, and visual or LiDAR‑based methods where platform‑native localisation is insufficient
• Evaluate and select hardware, sensors, and software components from OEM partners and open‑source ecosystems to assemble best‑fit solutions for each client engagement
• Build outdoor robotics Proofs of Concept that meet client technical requirements, progressing from representative environments through to full client‑site deployments, supported by physical field trials and simulation‑based validation
• Contribute to the development of reusable, modular software components that accelerate future project delivery.
• Advise the consulting team on options, translating client requirements into implementable technical approaches.
• Contribute to systems engineering processes including requirements traceability and hazard analysis for robotic deployments in unstructured outdoor environments

About the Candidate

• Degree in Robotics, Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related discipline (Master’s preferred)
• Linked or transferable skills, along with consulting experience or a strong interest in consulting, are highly desirable
• Strong hands‑on experience with ROS 2 in real‑world deployments or applied research settings
• Experience integrating sensors, actuators, and compute platforms on mobile robotic systems, working across hardware and software
• Proficiency in C++ and Python within a Linux environment, producing maintainable and scalable code
• Experience with outdoor or field robotics, including GPS/GNSS, rugged platforms, and operating in unstructured environments
• Solid understanding of sensing and perception systems (camera, LiDAR, GNSS) and their performance in outdoor conditions
• Familiarity with AI/ML inference pipelines for perception tasks such as detection, classification, and segmentation
• Awareness of systems engineering principles and structured development processes (e.g. V‑model lifecycle), along with experience in Docker, CI/CD, DevOps practices, and simulation tools (Gazebo or Nvidia Isaac Sim)
• Professional fluency in English for technical communication, along with holding a UK driving licence and fluency in German or Italian, would be beneficial
• Awareness of data integration, networking fundamentals, IoT protocols (e.g. MQTT), edge computing, and field connectivity technologies would be beneficial
• Experience with OEM robotic platforms, third‑party hardware integration, and knowledge of safety standards (e.g. ISO 13849, IEC 61508, MISRA) would be advantageous

Applicants who do not meet every requirement are nevertheless encouraged to submit an application. We are happy to discuss how their skills and experience could align with this position.

Reply is an Equal Opportunities Employer and committed to embracing diversity in the workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type regardless of age, sexual orientation, gender, identity, pregnancy, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, disability, medical history, skin colour, marital status or parental status or any other characteristic protected by the Law.

Reply is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone. To help you during the recruitment process, please let us know of any Reasonable Adjustments you may need.

#J-18808-Ljbffr