The posting
Join Way of Water, a funded field-robotics project at ETH Zurich (Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control, Research D'Andrea). This is a project employee (staff) role: you come in to deliver engineering work for the life of the project. It is not a PhD position and not an academic training track. We build autonomous surface robots that have to survive rain, spray, transport, and real water, then come back for the next campaign.
This role is for someone with a mechanical and hardware bent who wants ownership, not a fixed drawing list. You will shape the physical platform: structure, mechanisms, sealing, mounts, and how things get built and fixed. The brief will widen as designs move from prototype to fleet and as field lessons rewrite assumptions. Specialization helps you start strong. Curiosity across the stack is how you grow into more.
Compensation is competitive for a funded project role and depends on experience.
100%, IDSC - Research D'Andrea, Fixed-term project staff (~18 months)
Own the physical robot: structure, mechanisms, enclosures, mounts and the path from idea to a part that can be built again. Design with manufacture, assembly, sealing and service in mind. Then prove it with prototypes, fixtures and tests, including outdoors. Work at the seams with electronics and software: space, connectors, heat, cables, access, and what happens when water and vibration show up. Partner with workshops, suppliers and technicians so drawings turn into reliable assemblies and field issues turn into controlled changes. Leave a trail: clear models, revisions and build notes so the next person (including future you) can move faster. About 0–5 years of hands-on experience after your degree. Internships, thesis projects, Focus projects and paid project work count. This is an early-career project-staff role. A background in mechanical engineering, mechatronics, robotics or equivalent practical engineering experience. Evidence you have taken hardware from concept to a tested object others can build or maintain. CAD judgement, materials, fits and manufacturing choices included. Hands-on work is required, not optional: you build, assemble, debug and test physical hardware yourself — prototypes on the bench and outdoors, failure diagnosis, iteration from measurements rather than from opinion alone. Enough fluency with electronics packaging and software-facing constraints to collaborate without waiting for perfect handoffs. Appetite for outdoor and on-water testing. Field days are part of the job, including Lake Zürich and partner sites. An independent working style, and documentation habits that help a small team scale. We care more about finished hardware and sound judgment than about a matching keyword list. Experience with sealed or outdoor equipment, small batches, robotics mechanisms, or light electronics is welcome if you have it.
How you grow here
You start with mechanical ownership. Over the project, the work naturally reaches into electromechanical integration, design-for-reliability, supplier management, fleet maintenance and campaign logistics. Control and electronics colleagues own their layers. You learn enough of theirs to design for the whole robot. Growth here means broader robotics craft and ownership inside a fixed-term project. There may separately be an opportunity to join a planned spin-off early if that is a mutual fit after or alongside project delivery.
Working with the team
You will also work closely with established entrepreneurs, world-class scientists, and engineers who are artists. They are people who have built a billion-dollar company, sent hardware to the International Space Station, and created live performance-art installations at the Venice Biennale.
We look forward to receiving your online application with the following documents:
CV One or two examples of hardware you personally designed and delivered. What decisions mattered, how did you test, what failed, and what changed? Drawings or photos help when you can share them. Sanitized examples are fine Further information about Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control can be found on our website. Questions regarding the position should be directed to Aswin Karthik Ramachandran Venkatapathy, [email protected] (no applications).
Please note that we exclusively accept applications submitted through our online application portal. Applications via email or postal services will not be considered.
We would like to point out that the pre-selection is carried out by the responsible recruiters and not by artificial intelligence.
