Senior Software Engineer – Robotics, Distributed Systems & ML Infrastructure (m/f/d)

About The Role At RobCo

At RobCo, we develop AI-powered robotic systems that make industrial processes more autonomous, efficient, and scalable. Our Autonomous Manufacturing Platform combines modular industrial hardware with physical AI, enabling rapid deployment and continuous optimization in real production environments.

With locations in Munich, San Francisco, and Austin, and backed by leading investors such as Lightspeed, Lingotto Innovation, and Sequoia, we are working to redefine industrial automation.

At RobCo, we automate the ordinary, so humans can do the extraordinary. To achieve this, we are looking for an ambitious Senior Software Engineer – Robotics, Distributed Systems & ML Infrastructure (m/f/d) to help us establish RobCo as a leading provider of automation solutions.

As a Senior Software Engineer in our Autonomy & Learning team, you will build the software foundations that enable next-generation robot autonomy at scale. You will work across robot middleware (ROS 2), distributed systems, cloud infrastructure, and ML data pipelines to create reliable, high-performance components that power robotic learning, deployment, and real-time operation.

This role blends deep engineering craftsmanship with systems-level thinking. You will own critical architectural decisions, collaborate closely with autonomy, controls, and ML teams, and help shape the technical backbone of RobCo’s next-generation robotic platform.

Your Responsibilities

• Build autonomy platform components - Design and implement high-quality services and modules in a ROS 2–based robotics system with tight latency constraints and high quality of service.
• Develop distributed robotic systems - Architect control, perception, and telemetry pipelines that integrate tightly with real robot hardware.
• Drive ML data pipelines - Develop ingestion, preprocessing, and storage pipelines for multimodal datasets; support large‑scale training workflows.
• Cloud & distributed infrastructure - Build on top of our scalable cloud‑native systems (AWS) including data flows, EC2 orchestration, containerized services, and compute clusters.
• Enable scalable robot learning - Integrate technologies such as Ray/Anyscale for distributed training, simulation, rollout generation, and model evaluation.
• Deliver engineering excellence - Lead code reviews, testing strategies, CI/CD, observability, and documentation standards.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally - Work with autonomy, controls, and ML teams to define system interfaces and ensure seamless integration.
• Mentor & lead – Provide technical guidance, make architectural decisions, and elevate the engineering culture.

We’re looking for someone who has:

• 5–10+ years of experience in software engineering, distributed systems, or robotics platforms
• Aptitude for dealing with and optimizing performance‑critical systems and algorithms
• Strong proficiency in C++ and Python, with clean, maintainable engineering practices
• Deep experience with ROS 2 and Zenoh (nodes, messaging, lifecycle, middleware, performance, real‑time systems)
• Hands‑on experience building distributed systems, including messaging, compute orchestration, and storage
• Strong knowledge of Docker, container runtimes, and cloud environments (AWS preferred)
• Experience with PyTorch or ML toolchains and familiarity with data workflows (Ray, Spark, or similar)
• Solid system design skills and ability to own complex architectural components end‑to‑end
• Excellent collaboration skills and ability to work across autonomy, ML, and robotics engineering domains
• Experience with front‑end development a plus

Why join RobCo?

• Develop modular, software‑defined robotics solutions with us that set new standards in automation.
• Help us build robots equipped with state‑of‑the‑art AI that perceive their environment, analyze data, and make intelligent decisions in real time.
• As part of a very dynamic and fast‑growing scale‑up, you will take on responsibility from day one, drive your own projects, and see the direct impact of your work.
• Flat hierarchies, open communication, and regular 360° feedback enable fast decisions and support your professional and personal development.
• Work out across Germany in over 7,200 studios with our subsidized Wellpass membership.
• Flexible working hours, a modern office, and—depending on the role—the option to work from home.
• Regular team events—from relaxed beer & pizza nights on the rooftop terrace to shared experiences on ski trips or at Oktoberfest.

About RobCo

RobCo was founded in late 2020 in Munich and develops AI‑powered robotic systems that bring learning and autonomy to industrial processes. The Autonomous Manufacturing Platform combines modular industrial hardware with a software architecture for physical AI, enabling rapid implementation, continuous optimization, and application‑specific performance.

Through a Robotics‑as‑a‑Service model, RobCo helps industrial companies automate manual tasks while reducing operational complexity and risk. The company covers a wide range of industrial applications, including machine tending, palletizing, dispensing, and welding.

RobCo operates in Europe and the USA, with locations in Munich, San Francisco, and Austin. The company is backed by leading global investors, including Lightspeed, Lingotto Innovation, and Sequoia.

Don’t meet every single requirement? If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

At RobCo, applicants are selected regardless of ethnic origin, religion, gender, age, disability, or sexual orientation. All decisions throughout the recruitment process are based solely on applicants’ qualifications, skills, knowledge, and experience, as well as relevant business requirements.