Senior Robotics & Trajectory Planning Engineer for Agricultural Automation (m/f/x) - limited for 2 years (m/w/d)

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In a spacious modern setting full of opportunities for further development, ZEISS employees work in a place where expert knowledge and team spirit reign supreme. All of this is supported by a special ownership structure and the long-term goal of the Carl Zeiss Foundation: to bring science and society into the future together.

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Are you passionate about developing advanced trajectory planning and real-time robot control algorithms for real-world applications? Join ZEISS in shaping the future of agriculture at the intersection of robotics, 3D Computer Vision, and AI. We are expanding our newly formed AgTech team, where ZEISS is driving a major strategic initiative to bring robotic solutions to high-end greenhouses, starting with labor automation. To accelerate our efforts, we are looking for an experienced robotics engineer with deep expertise in trajectory planning, reactive motion generation, and manipulation. You will develop and integrate advanced trajectory planning and control algorithms for robotic arms operating in structured and semi-structured agricultural environments. Embedded in a fast-growing team of scientists and engineers, you will contribute to capabilities that require tight coupling between perception, planning, and real-time control. We are looking for a proactive engineer who enjoys solving complex problems and thrives in a fast-paced and innovative environment.

 

Primary Responsibilities

• Trajectory Planning & Control: Design, implement, and optimize trajectory generation methods for robotic manipulators, including constrained planning, and reactive motion optimization.

• Algorithm Development: Prototype and evaluate new planning, prediction, and behavior-generation approaches suitable for dynamic agricultural environments.

• Real-time Performance: Ensure reliable real-time execution of planning and control components across the full robotic system.

• System-level Development: Work closely with perception, control, and systems engineers to jointly design robust pipelines for manipulation and automated task execution.

• Stakeholder Collaboration: Align requirements with internal teams, product owners, and external partners.

• Mentorship: Guide interns, students and colleagues on topics related to trajectory planning and robotics.

• User Interaction: Engage with greenhouse staff, industry experts and end-users to understand operational constraints and identify opportunities for automated workflows.

 

 

 

 

• A university degree in robotics, computer science, mechatronics, or a related field, with 4+ years of industry experience developing motion planning or control algorithms for robotic manipulators.

• Strong expertise in trajectory planning, including one or more of the following: optimization-based planning, constrained motion generation, multi-stage planning pipelines, or model-predictive control.

• Solid understanding of robot kinematics and dynamics, and real-time motion execution pipelines.

• Strong programming skills in C++ and Python, with experience building production-quality robotics software.

• Experience with ROS 2, motion planning frameworks, and real-time control systems is a strong plus.

• Familiarity with 3D sensors, perception pipelines, or environment modeling is beneficial.

• A resourceful and collaborative mindset with a willingness to help the team succeed.

• Proficiency in English; German is a plus.

 

The contract is limited for 2 years.

 

Why ZEISS

At ZEISS, we value innovation, hands-on ownership, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. If you want to apply your expertise in trajectory planning and robotic manipulation to real-world agricultural automation challenges, we look forward to receiving your application.