Robotics Research Control Engineer

Hatfield, England, United Kingdom

6/3/2025

About Us

We are Ocado Technology and we empower global grocery retailers with cutting-edge cloud, robotics, AI, and IoT. Our Ocado Smart Platform (OSP) powers highly automated Customer Fulfilment Centres (CFCs), enabling efficient, single-pick online grocery delivery

About The Role

Ocado Technology designs, builds and delivers to customers throughout the world the turnkey e-commerce solution known as the Ocado Smart Platform. This is a continuously evolving, highly sophisticated example of integrated automation that orchestrates and optimises everything from orders on the web shop, to supply chain deliveries, warehouse storage, and distribution to individual customers in guaranteed timeslots. We are looking for a Control Engineer to join our robotics research team working on the research, design and development of sensor-guided robotic manipulation systems, in order to demonstrate the ability of novel technology in this domain to further enhance the already highly automated Ocado Smart Platform. In order to be at the forefront of what robotics can achieve we have been involved over a number of years in cutting edge robotics research projects funded by the Horizon Europe programme (e.g. SoMa, SecondHands, Sestosenso, Softenable and Intelliman) and more recently by the UK funding body the Advanced Research and Invention Agency. We are looking for candidates with expertise to enhance our ability to deliver the next generation of robotic systems that such projects help define.

Ocado Technology has also been awarded funding from Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) for a research programme into bio-inspired robotic manipulators. Our team will be designing and validating a multi-fingered manipulator capable of handling products with even greater dexterity, efficiency, and versatility.

https://www.aria.org.uk/opportunity-spaces/smarter-robot-bodies/robot-dexterity/meet-the-creators

Role Responsibilities

• Participate effectively in investigating and implementing sensor-guided robotics solutions to specific automation problems.
• Take an active role in the choice of technologies and techniques used in the delivery of robotics application demonstrators.
• Perform mathematical modelling and algorithm development to achieve real-time sensor-guided robot motions.
• Develop software that implements novel and sophisticated solutions to specific robotic applications.
• Documentation of theoretical developments and their software implementation.
• Demonstrate working pre-production systems and thoroughly test them to establish their operational limits.
  
  

We expect the successful candidate to be engaged in the full development lifecycle and have a hands-on approach to producing working systems that integrate a variety of sub-systems comprised of a range of technologies.

About You

• A Batchelors or Masters degree in one of the following subjects: Robotics, Control engineering, Cybernetics, Joint Maths & Computing, Joint Physics and Computing, Information Engineering, or Mechatronics with a strong software engineering component.
  
  

Desirable

• A PhD in a relevant area or demonstrable track record of the ability to perform novel work in a cutting edge environment on challenging projects.
  
  

Job-specific skill-set

Skills

Candidates are sought with strong mathematical skills and experience of using them in the development of software in a number of the following domains:

• The use of machine learning techniques in the real time control of robotic manipulators (learning from demonstration, skill acquisition, behaviour optimisation)
• Analysis of robot-environment interaction
• The mechanics of manipulation
• Extrinsic dexterity
• Prehensile manipulation
• Non-prehensile manipulation
• In-hand manipulation
• Compliant robot motion: Impedance/admittance control, force control or Series elastic actuation
• Bilateral control of a robotic master/slave system
• Control of tendon driven mechanisms
• The design of robotic or prosthetic devices
  
  

Candidates will be expected to be proficient in programming with C/C++ and Python with exposure to Unix shell scripting and ROS 2.

What We Offer

We believe in supporting our people with meaningful, flexible benefits that prioritise well-being and work-life balance. Here’s a snapshot of what you can expect:

• Time to recharge: 25 days annual leave (rising to 27 after 5 years), plus the option to buy more – and 30 days a year to work from anywhere in the world.
• Health & wellbeing: Private Medical Insurance from your first month, wellbeing support through specialist apps and EAP, plus Income Protection and Life Assurance.
• Family-first policies: 22 weeks paid maternity/primary carer leave and 6 weeks paid paternity leave (after qualifying period).
• Financial support: Pension with employer matching up to 7%, share schemes (Sharesave & BAYE), and interest-free loans for train tickets.
• Commuter perks: Cycle to Work Scheme and free shuttle buses to/from Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City stations.
• Exclusive discounts: 15% off at Ocado.com with free delivery (starting in your first month).
  
  

Ocado Group is an equal opportunities employer and as such makes every effort to ensure that all potential employees are treated fairly and equally, regardless of their sex, sexual orientation, marital status, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, age, or disability or union membership status.