C++ Control Systems Engineer in Cambridge

Company Overview

Fieldwork Robotics is a pioneering autonomous robotics company developing modular, multi-crop, soft and adaptive robots designed to operate in real-world, non-controllable environments such as agricultural fields. Our mission is to transform farming through intelligent, scalable robotic systems that improve productivity, sustainability, and efficiency.

We operate a growing R&D headquarters in Cambridge and are establishing a new engineering hub in Lisbon following the incorporation of our Portugal subsidiary. Our teams work collaboratively across hardware, software, and operations to deliver reliable, production-grade autonomous robots.

The Role

We are hiring a ROS 2 C++ Control Systems Engineer to work on the development of our next-generation autonomous agricultural robotics platform. This role sits at the core of robot motion, control, and manipulation — bridging high-level motion planning and low-level real-time motor control.

You will play a key role in the transition of our platform from ROS 1 to ROS 2 and in the development of robotic arm control, coordination, and performance optimisation. This is a hands‑on engineering role with real‑world deployment impact, including testing on physical robots in operational farm environments.

As a high‑growth robotics company, this role oers strong opportunities for technical growth, responsibility expansion, and long‑term career development.

What You’ll Be Working On

High‑Level Motion & Planning (MoveIt2) in a complex scene

• High-level motion planning




• Collision-free path planning




• Trajectory generation (positions, velocities, accelerations)




• Planning scene management & collision checking

Low‑Level Control & Real‑Time Systems

• PID control loops




• Motor control and joint-level actuation




• Closing real‑time control loops on joints




• Ensuring deterministic, real‑time behavior




• Translating planned trajectories into executable motor commands

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, test, and maintain C++ software for robotics applications




• Implement control systems, and motion pipelines for robotic arms




• Collaborate closely with robotics, mechanical, and electronics teams




• Integrate software with hardware and manufacturing processes




• Test, debug, and verify code prior to production deployment




• Conduct real-world testing on Fieldwork robots in polytunnels and farms (UK & Portugal)




• Contribute across the full system lifecycle: concept, design, development, validation, and production transfer




• Produce clear technical documentation (requirements, test plans, software design)

Essential Requirements

• Proven experience with ROS 2 motion control




• Minimum 3+ years industry experience in modern C++ (C++11+, C++20preferred)




• Strong low-level / embedded C++ experience (e.g. CAN interfaces, hardwarecommunication)




• Control systems experience:
  
  
  
  • Motor setup

  
  

  • PID tuning

  
  

  • Integration testing

  
  

  
  




• Strong background in:
  
  
  
  • Motion planning

  
  

  • Applied mathematics for robotics

  
  

  
  




• Linux development experience




• Strong C++ focus (this is not a Python role)

Additional / Desirable Skills

• Experience with:
  
  
  
  • Jira and Agile workflows

  
  

  • Testing and Quality Engineering

  
  

  • Version control with Git

  
  

  
  




• Simulation & testing tools:
  
  
  
  • Gazebo

  
  

  • Isaac Sim

  
  

  
  




• Hardware integration experience:
  
  
  
  • Embedded robotics platforms (e.g. NVIDIA Jetson)

  
  

  • Low Level debugging and communications interfaces

  
  

  
  




• Experience working on collaborative, multi-developer codebases




• Strong team ethic with ability to work independently and take ownership

What We Offer

• Competitive salary and benefits package




• Profit sharing / share options




• Hybrid working model




• Flexible working hours




• On-site parking (UK)




• Casual dress




• Company events & social activities




• Career progression in a fast‑scaling robotics company




• Opportunity to work on real-world autonomous robots deployed in production environments

This role is ideal for engineers who want to work at the intersection of planning, control, and real-world robotics — not simulations only, but physical systems operating in the field.