Ocado Group
Senior Robotics Research Engineer
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Robotics Research Engineer | Automation | Hybrid Working | Welwyn Garden City
About Us
We are Ocado Group, bringing world-class automation to online grocery. Our Ocado Smart Platform (OSP) combines cutting-edge robotics, AI, and IoT within our advanced Customer Fulfilment Centres (CFCs): We've mastered the single pick, transforming online delivery for our global partners. Join us and be part of a team pushing the boundaries of retail technology.
About the Role
As a Robotics Research Engineer, you will join our dedicated robotics research team to:
- Spearhead the research, design, and development of sensor-guided robotic manipulation systems.
- Investigate and implement cutting-edge automated manipulation and grasping solutions aimed at continuously evolving and optimizing the Ocado Smart Platform.
- Operate within a highly collaborative environment, actively selecting technologies and defining architectures for advanced application demonstrators.
- Engage across the full development lifecycle, adopting a hands-on approach to building, testing, and debugging complex pre-production systems that integrate diverse sub-systems.
- Collaborate closely with external research projects funded by prestigious European and UK bodies to help define the next generation of robotics technology.
- Work closely with internal stakeholders and production-facing teams to manage performance, integration, and system hand-overs.
Key Responsibilities
- Investigate, design, and implement sensor-guided robotic solutions for automated manipulation and grasping applications.
- Select technologies, architectures, and methodologies to deliver robotics application demonstrators.
- Develop real-time algorithms to achieve precise, sensor-guided robot motions.
- Design and develop software implementing novel solutions for complex robotic applications.
- Produce clear technical documentation covering:
- System architecture
- Software implementation
- Theoretical developments
- Principles of operation
- Demonstrate working pre-production systems and perform thorough testing to establish operational and performance limits.
- Collaborate with stakeholders to resolve performance and integration issues.
- Facilitate the successful hand-over of researched systems to production-facing teams.
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What We’re Looking For
Essential
- Proficiency in C/C++ and Python, with a track record of developing secure, maintainable, and reusable code using Agile methodologies.
- Strong analytical and software skills applied across core robotics domains (e.g., control of robot-environment interaction, motion planning, or sensor-guided motions).
- Experience with ROS2 application development and deployment.
- Experience with Docker and containerised software environments.
- Experience developing real-time and concurrent software systems, including multi-threaded and multi-process applications.
- Proven capability in software verification, testing, and debugging of complex systems.
- Familiarity with Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) tools and workflows.
- Experience working in Linux-based development environments using command-line tooling.
Nice to Haves
- A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Robotics, Robot Control, Robotics and AI, or similar discipline with a strong software engineering component.
- A PhD in a relevant robotics area or a demonstrable track record of performing novel work in a cutting-edge environment on challenging projects.
- Experience with machine learning techniques for real-time control of robotic manipulators, such as:
- Vision-Language Action Models
- Diffusion Policies
- Transformer Architectures
- Reinforcement Learning
- LSTM
- Experience in:
- Learning from demonstration
- Skill acquisition
- Behaviour optimisation
- Robotic grasping (including multiple articulated finger grasping)
- Dextrous/in-hand manipulation
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Benefits
We believe in supporting our people with meaningful, flexible benefits that prioritise well-being and work-life balance. Here's what you can expect:
-
Time to recharge:
- 25 days' annual leave (rising to 27 days after 5 years), plus the option to buy more.
- 30 days a year to work from anywhere in the world.
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Health & wellbeing:
- Private Medical Insurance from your first month.
- Wellbeing support through specialist apps and Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).
- Income Protection and Life Assurance.
-
Family-first policies:
- 22 weeks paid maternity/primary carer leave.
- 6 weeks paid paternity leave.
-
Financial support:
- Pension with employer matching up to 7%.
- Share schemes (Sharesave & BAYE).
- Interest-free loans for train tickets.
-
Commuter perks:
- Cycle to Work Scheme.
- Free shuttle buses to/from Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City stations.
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Exclusive discounts:
- 15% off at Ocado.com with free delivery (starting in your first month).
Diversity and Inclusion
Be bold, be unique, be brilliant, be you. We are looking for individuality and we value diversity. We are an equal opportunities employer and committed to treating all applicants and employees fairly and equally. We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to provide a positive, barrier-free recruitment process and supportive work environment. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of application.
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