Senior Robotic Systems Engineer

Clera • San Francisco, CA

1d • €75,000 - €110,000 • Onsite

About The Position

This is a foundational senior engineering hire at an early-stage industrial robotics startup based in Munich, Germany. The company is building a fully flexible, intelligent robotic work cell designed for the hardest manual industrial tasks — surface finishing, welding, and coating. You will own the core robotics software stack end-to-end, from motion planning and control through to real-world commissioning in industrial environments.

Requirements

• 5+ years of hands-on robotics experience in industrial automation, including work with industrial robotic arms
• Proficiency in C++ and Python for robotics software development
• Hands-on experience with ROS 2 for robot software development and integration
• Hands-on experience with industrial robot arms (e.g., KUKA, ABB, Fanuc, UR) in real production environments
• Experience with industrial communication protocols EtherCAT and OPC-UA
• Experience integrating perception systems into real-time control loops
• Ability to design and validate industrial safety concepts and fail-safe behaviors
• Proficiency with CAD tools such as SolidWorks and/or CATIA
• Able and willing to work fully on-site in Munich, Germany (relocation required if not local; no visa sponsorship available)

Nice To Haves

• Background in surface finishing, welding, or coating within manufacturing environments
• German language skills
• Experience thriving in a startup environment with high ownership and cross-functional collaboration

Responsibilities

• Own and evolve the core robotics software stack for an industrial robotic work cell
• Develop and optimize motion planning, trajectory generation, and real-time control algorithms
• Integrate perception systems (cameras, force/torque sensors, LiDAR) into real-time control loops
• Design, implement, and validate industrial safety concepts and fail-safe behaviors
• Lead on-site testing, calibration, and commissioning of robotic work cells in production environments
• Drive architecture decisions and establish engineering best practices across the team

Benefits

• Competitive cash compensation (estimated €75,000–€110,000 annually, to be confirmed)
• Meaningful equity participation
• High-ownership, early-team role with significant influence over technical direction

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed