Robotics Engineer

Join EIT’s Auto Labs team to develop and deploy robotic systems that automate scientific work. This is a hands‑on mechatronics role spanning mechanical design, electrical integration, software, and control. You will bring these disciplines together to turn scientific requirements and working prototypes into reliable, maintainable machines used in laboratories.

The role requires a strong systems engineering approach: understanding how the complete machine should behave, managing dependencies between subsystems, and verifying performance at system level. You will work with automation scientists and specialist engineers from requirements and concept development through build, commissioning, and operational use.

You will use iterative hardware development practices to test assumptions early, improve designs through practical evidence, and product ionise prototypes while maintaining appropriate safety and configuration controls.

We welcome engineers with applied, deployment, or product development experience in industrial automation, robotics, manufacturing, instrumentation, or related fields. Previous laboratory automation experience is valuable but is not essential.

You will be expected to work in Oxford 4 days a week for this role.

• Translate scientific workflows and user needs into system requirements, operating concepts, interfaces, and measurable acceptance criteria.
• Develop integrated machine concepts, evaluating trade‑offs across mechanical, electrical, software, control, safety, and operational needs.
• Design and develop mechanisms, end‑effectors, fixtures, motion assemblies, and machine structures, considering manufacture, assembly, cleaning, and servicing.
• Specify and integrate sensors, actuators, drives, wiring, and control hardware, working with specialists where required.
• Develop and adapt robot programs, automation software, and control sequences for motion, equipment coordination, sensing, and fault recovery.
• Plan iterative hardware development through focused prototypes, staged integration, design reviews, and short build–test–learn cycles.
• Maintain system interfaces, design baselines, and configuration records so hardware and software changes remain compatible and traceable.
• Assemble, commission, calibrate, and troubleshoot complete systems, resolving faults across engineering disciplines.
• Contribute to machinery risk assessments and hazard reviews, translating findings into design measures, guarding, interlocks, and safe operating and maintenance arrangements.
• Plan and carry out verification and validation, covering performance, reliability, foreseeable misuse, fault conditions, and recovery from interrupted operation.
• Product ionise prototypes and support deployment, working with scientists, technicians, and suppliers to improve usability, repeatability, and maintainability.

• Degree or equivalent practical experience in Robotics, Mechatronics, Mechanical, Electrical/Electronic, Control, or a related engineering discipline.
• Experience delivering integrated robotic, automated, or electromechanical systems through build, commissioning, and deployment.
• Practical systems engineering experience, including requirements capture, functional decomposition, interface definition, trade studies, and system‑level verification and validation.
• Strong capability in one or more engineering disciplines, with practical competence across mechanical systems, electrical integration, software, and controls.
• Experience applying agile or iterative hardware development practices, using prototypes and test evidence to reduce uncertainty and guide design decisions.
• Experience managing changes across interconnected hardware and…