Prototyping Engineer

About the Role at RobCo

RobCo is building the category of Autonomous Industrial Robotics and we're doing it fast. We believe that automating the ordinary frees humans to do the extraordinary, and we're building the end-to-end robotics infrastructure to make that possible - hardware, software, and AI in one stack that just works.

 

In this key role, you are the driving force behind extending our modular robotics solutions with new peripheral components, from grippers and sensors to tools and beyond. Whenever a customer application calls for a new component, you take it from first prototype to a validated, reusable standard, fully integrated with our modular robots and ready for deployment. By turning each new component into a proven building block, supported by clear documentation and repeatable processes, you enable our teams to get solutions live faster and deliver end-to-end robotics that just works. In doing so, you help our platform adapt to each customer's use case, not the other way around, and help us simplify to scale.

Your Responsibilities

• Component Prototyping & Development: Prototype and evaluate new peripheral components such as grippers, sensors, and other mechatronic assemblies, identifying what does and doesn't work for our purpose.

• Mechatronic Integration: Assemble, wire, and configure new components and integrate them mechanically, electrically, and on the software side into our modular robotic systems.

• Iterative Development: Take on technical tasks that don't have a fixed, known solution path, and use an iterative development approach to find the best way to make a new component work reliably.

• Validation: Test and verify new components thoroughly before they are released for use in customer projects.

• Peripheral Standardization: Turn custom, one-off setups into reliable, repeatable standards that work across different customer applications.

• Documentation & Handover: Create the documentation, configuration guides, and processes that enable our deployment teams to use new components independently during the installation of robotic solutions.

• Requirements Translation: Learn to abstract complex requirements from various sources and translate them into actionable work packages, either to be solved within our department or clearly communicated to Product Management.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Work closely with Product Management, Engineering, our Solution Development team, and customers to develop components that help our organization scale.

We are looking for someone who has:

• Completed a degree in Mechatronics, Automation Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a comparable technical field.

• Initial practical experience (via previous projects or early career steps) in building, prototyping, or integrating mechatronic or robotic systems and components.

• An iterative approach: you are comfortable with ambiguity, enjoy the challenge of trial-and-error, and are eager to find paths forward when there is no manual.

• A holistic engineering approach: you look beyond your immediate tasks to understand how the components you develop fit into the larger system and how others will use them.

• A growth mindset: you are driven by the principle of automation (not doing things twice manually) and are excited to expand your skills into requirements gathering and cross-department collaboration.

• Solid foundational knowledge of electrical circuits, sensor integration, wiring diagrams, and mechanical components.

• A structured and pragmatic working style, a strong ownership mindset, and the ability to document your work so that others can rely on it.

• Very good English skills (German is a plus).

Why join RobCo?

• Develop modular, software-defined robotics solutions with us that set new standards in automation.

• Help us build robots equipped with state-of-the-art AI that perceive their environment, analyze data, and make intelligent decisions in real time.

• As part of a very dynamic and fast-growing scale-up, you will take on responsibility from day one, drive your own projects, and see the direct impact of your work.

• Flat hierarchies, open communication, and regular 360° feedback enable fast decisions and support your professional and personal development.

• Wellpass membership (7,200+ studios across Germany), regular team events, and a team that takes both the work and the culture seriously.

• Flexible working hours, a modern office, and - depending on the role - the option to work from home.

• Regular team events - from relaxed beer & pizza nights on the rooftop terrace to shared experiences on ski trips or at Oktoberfest.

About RobCo

Founded in Munich in 2020, RobCo leads the transition toward fully Autonomous Industrial Robotics. Our mission is to deploy RobCo in every factory - solving the industrial labor shortage through end-to-end robotics that just works. Powered by Physical AI, our solutions combine a scalable modular hardware architecture with intelligent software that adapts to your use case, improves over time, and requires zero upfront investment through our Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) model.

We solve our customers' most pressing pain points - labor shortage, cost pressure, workplace safety, and national reshoring - across the full spectrum of Autonomous Industrial Robotics. With $160M raised from investors including Lightspeed, Lingotto Innovation, and Sequoia, 200+ people globally, and 2.5M+ operating hours in the field, we are deploying robots in factories across Europe and the United States - with our US operations headquartered in Austin, TX, and our RobCo Bay Area Demo Lab in San Francisco.

Don’t meet every single requirement? If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

At RobCo, applicants are selected regardless of ethnic origin, religion, gender, age, disability, or sexual orientation. All decisions throughout the recruitment process are based solely on applicants’ qualifications, skills, knowledge, and experience, as well as relevant business requirements.