Robotics Software Engineer / Technical Software Owner (Autonomy & Integration)

ANT Maschinen GmbH develops fully electric, unmanned heavy-duty towing robots for closed environments such as ports, logistics hubs, and automated logistic yards. Our vehicles combine robust industrial hardware with modern autonomy and fleet-level software, developed partly in-house and partly together with specialised external partners.

We are looking for a hands-on robotics software engineer who will act as our in-house technical counterpart and software owner for autonomy-related systems. The role focuses on understanding, integrating, and technically guiding software developed together with partners, while gradually building internal software know-how.

Tasks

• Act as the technical owner of the higher-level robotics software stack (above PLC and hardware layers)
• Coordinate and technically review autonomy-related software developed by external partners
• Translate system-level requirements (vehicle behaviour, interfaces, safety concepts) into clear software requirements
• Review architectures, interfaces, and design decisions proposed by partners
• Support integration of autonomy, navigation, and fleet-level software with real vehicles
• Perform hands-on testing, commissioning, and validation on the robots (including connecting to vehicles, deploying software, and on-site troubleshooting)
• Contribute to the gradual transition from externally developed software towards internal solutions, where technically and economically sensible
• Help avoid unnecessary complexity, vendor lock-in, and black-box dependencies

Requirements

• Practical experience with robotics or autonomous systems software
• Working knowledge of ROS2 and common robotics software architectures
• Ability to read, understand, and assess other people’s code and system designs
• Experience working at the interface between software and physical systems
• Confidence communicating with external software partners and internal engineering teams
• Structured, pragmatic engineering mindset suitable for industrial environments
• Willingness to work regularly on-site with real machines in the Dortmund / NRW area (hybrid work possible)

Nice to have:

• Familiarity with VDA 5050
• Experience with Autoware or comparable autonomy frameworks
• Exposure to fleet management or vehicle coordination systems
• Background in industrial, logistics, or mobile robotics

Benefits

• Hands-on work with real autonomous machines in operation
• Direct influence on software architecture and technical decisions
• Close collaboration with experienced hardware, PLC, and systems engineers
• Opportunity to build long-term internal software competence from an early stage
• Exposure to European academic and research collaborations in robotics and autonomy

If you are interested in working on real autonomous machines and shaping how software is integrated and owned in an industrial robotics product, we would be happy to hear from you.

Please apply with your CV or a short professional profile. The hiring process typically consists of an initial technical discussion, followed by a more detailed exchange focused on system understanding and practical experience.