Senior Robotics Research Engineer

Robotics Research Engineer | Manipulation and Grasping | Hybrid Working | Welwyn Garden City

Introduction:

We are Ocado Group, and we're bringing world-class automation to online grocery. Our Ocado Smart Platform (OSP) combines cutting-edge robotics, AI, and IoT within our advanced CFCs (Customer Fulfilment Centres). 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. In this role, you will investigate and implement cutting-edge automated manipulation and grasping solutions aimed at continuously evolving and optimizing the highly automated Ocado Smart Platform. Operating within a highly collaborative environment, you will play an active part in selecting technologies and defining architectures for advanced application demonstrators.

You will engage across the full development lifecycle, adopting a hands-on approach to building, testing, and debugging complex pre-production systems that seamlessly integrate diverse sub-systems. Beyond core development, you will collaborate closely with external research projects funded by prestigious European and UK bodies to help define the next generation of robotics technology. You will also work closely with internal stakeholders and production-facing teams to manage performance, integration, and smooth 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, and 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.

What We’re Looking For

Candidates are sought with strong analytical and software skills and experience of using them in a number of the following domains:

• Control of robot-environment interaction
• Robot motion planning using traditional and AI-based algorithms
• Sensor guided robot motions, particularly using tactile/haptic perception and 3D vision.
• The use of machine learning techniques in the real time control of robotic manipulators (Vision-Language Action Models, Diffusion Policies, Transformer Architectures, Reinforcement Learning, Long Short-Term Memory)
• Learning from demonstration, skill acquisition, behaviour optimisation
• Robot grasping, including multiple articulated finger grasping
• Dextrous and in-hand manipulation
• A Bachelors or Masters degree in Robotics, Robot Control, Robotics and AI, or a similar discipline with a strong software engineering component.

Nice to have: 

• 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, or LSTM.
• Experience in learning from demonstration, skill acquisition, behaviour optimisation, robot grasping (including multiple articulated finger grasping), or dextrous/in-hand manipulation.

Benefits

We believe in supporting our people with meaningful, flexible benefits that prioritise well-being and work-life balance. Here’s a snapshot of what you can expect:

• Time to recharge: 25 days annual leave (rising to 27 after 5 years), plus the option to buy more – and 30 days a year to work from anywhere in the world.
• Health & wellbeing: Private Medical Insurance from your first month, wellbeing support through specialist apps and EAP, plus Income Protection and Life Assurance.
• Family-first policies: 22 weeks paid maternity/primary carer leave and 6 weeks paid paternity leave.
• Financial support: Pension with employer matching up to 7%, share schemes (Sharesave & BAYE), and interest-free loans for train tickets.
• Commuter perks: Cycle to Work Scheme and free shuttle buses to/from Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City stations.
• Exclusive discounts: 15% off at Ocado.com with free delivery (starting in your first month).

Be bold, be unique, be brilliant, be you. We are looking for individuality and we value diversity. We are an equal opportunities employer and we are 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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