C++ Control Systems Engineer

Fieldwork Robotics is a pioneering autonomous robotics company developing modular, multi-crop, soft and adaptive robots designed to operate in real-world, non-controllable environments such as agricultural fields. Our mission is to transform farming through intelligent, scalable robotic systems that improve productivity, sustainability, and efficiency.

We operate a growing R&D headquarters in Cambridge and are establishing a new engineering hub in Lisbon following the incorporation of our Portugal subsidiary. Our teams work collaboratively across hardware, software, and operations to deliver reliable, production-grade autonomous robots.

We are hiring a ROS 2 C++ Control Systems Engineer to work on the development of our next-generation autonomous agricultural robotics platform. This role sits at the core of robot motion, control, and manipulation — bridging high-level motion planning and low-level real-time motor control.

You will play a key role in the transition of our platform from ROS 1 to ROS 2 and in the development of robotic arm control, coordination, and performance optimisation. This is a hands-on engineering role with real-world deployment impact, including testing on physical robots in operational farm environments.

As a high-growth robotics company, this role oers strong opportunities for technical growth, responsibility expansion, and long-term career development.

High-Level Motion & Planning (MoveIt2) in a complex scene

• High-level motion planning
• Collision-free path planning
• Trajectory generation (positions, velocities, accelerations)
• Planning scene management & collision checking

• PID control loops
• Motor control and joint-level actuation
• Closing real-time control loops on joints
• Ensuring deterministic, real-time behavior
• Translating planned trajectories into executable motor commands

• Design, develop, test, and maintain C++ software for robotics applications
• Implement control systems, and motion pipelines for robotic arms
• Collaborate closely with robotics, mechanical, and electronics teams
• Integrate software with hardware and manufacturing processes
• Test, debug, and verify code prior to production deployment
• Conduct real-world testing on Fieldwork robots in polytunnels and farms (UK &Portugal)
• Contribute across the full system lifecycle: concept, design, development, validation, and production transfer
• Produce clear technical documentation (requirements, test plans, software design)

• Proven experience with ROS 2 motion control
• Minimum 3+ years industry experience in modern C++ (C++11+, C++20preferred)
• Strong low-level / embedded C++ experience (e.g. CAN interfaces, hardware communication)
• Control systems experience:
• Motor setup
• PID tuning
• Integration testing
• Strong background in:
• Motion planning
• Applied mathematics for robotics
• Linux development experience
• Strong C++ focus (this is not a Python role)

• Experience with:
• Jira and Agile workflows
• Testing and Quality Engineering
• Version control with Git
• Simulation & testing tools:
• Gazebo
• Isaac Sim
• Hardware integration experience:
• Embedded robotics platforms (e.g. NVIDIA Jetson)
• Low Level debugging and communications interfaces
• Experience working on collaborative, multi-developer codebases
• Strong team ethic with ability to work independently and take ownership

• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Profit sharing / share options
• Hybrid working model
• Flexible working hours
• On-site parking (UK)
• Casual dress
• Company events & social activities
• Career progression in a fast-scaling robotics company
• Opportunity to work on real-world autonomous robots deployed in production environments

This role is ideal for engineers who want to work at the intersection of planning, control, and real-world robotics — not simulations only, but physical systems operating in the field.