Robotics - Mechanical Engineer

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.

Join Way of Water, a funded field-robotics project at ETH Zurich (Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control, Research D'Andrea). We build autonomous surface robots that have to survive rain, spray, transport, and real water, then come back for the next campaign.

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.

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.

ETH Zurich is one of the world’s leading universities specialising in science and technology. We are renowned for our excellent education, cutting-edge fundamental research and direct transfer of new knowledge into society. Over 30,000 people from more than 120 countries find our university to be a place that promotes independent thinking and an environment that inspires excellence. Located in the heart of Europe, yet forging connections all over the world, we work together to develop solutions for the global challenges of today and tomorrow.

• 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.