"Lead Robotics Software and Systems Engineer"

The Oxford Robotics Institute (ORI) — part of the Department of Engineering Science — is seeking a Lead Robotics Software and Systems Engineer to join our world-class team.

A recent recipient of the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for innovation in autonomous robotic technologies, ORI is a vibrant, multidisciplinary community of researchers, engineers, and students united by a shared mission: to push the boundaries of what robots can achieve. Our work spans diverse domains — from flying and grasping to driving and exploring — and we are the only group in the UK specialising in large-scale mobile autonomy, both indoors and outdoors. We validate our ideas by deploying real robotic systems in challenging, real-world environments.

As the successful candidate, you will co-lead a diverse engineering team responsible for designing, building, programming, testing, and maintaining a large fleet of robotic and autonomous systems. These include mobile and walking robots, manipulators, drones, and soft robotic systems, with applications across sectors such as energy, urban mobility, healthcare, space exploration, and nuclear inspection.

You will have a degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related discipline, and possess substantial post-qualification experience in a research or R&D environment. You will bring a strong background in C++, Python, ROS, web development, and data management, and be confident working both independently and collaboratively across multiple projects.

The scope of this role covers the entire concept-to-deployment lifecycle. You will work closely with ORI academics, researchers, and the Lead Hardware Engineer on projects such as:

• Developing quadruped robots that autonomously navigate obstacles, scan forests, and map tunnels.
• Deploying bespoke scanning and sensing systems.
• Adapting robots to meet specific research and application goals.

You will also represent ORI in collaborations with industrial and academic partners, acting as a key point of technical contact.

Join us and contribute to cutting-edge robotics research that makes a real-world impact. For more information about the ORI, please see: ori.ox.ac.uk

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Nick Hawes (email: nick.hawes@eng.ox.ac.uk)

The Department holds an Athena Swan Bronze award, highlighting its commitment to promoting women in Science, Engineering and Technology. For more information about working at the Department, please see: www.eng.ox.ac.uk/about/work-with-us/.

Only applications received before midday on the 5th January 2026 can be required to upload a covering letter/supporting statement, (describing how past experience fit with the advertised position), CV and the details of two referees as part of your online application.

Contact Person: Prof. Nick Hawes
Vacancy ID: 183001
Closing Date & Time: 05-Jan-2026 12:00
Pay Scale: STANDARD GRADE 8
Contact Email: nick.hawes@eng.ox.ac.uk
Salary (£): Grade 8: £49,119 - £58,265 per annum with a discretionary range to £63,489. (Inclusive of Oxford University Weighting)
Location: Oxford Robotics Institute, Central Oxford