At a Glance
- Tasks: Join us to design and integrate software for cutting-edge humanoid robots.
- Company: Humanoid, a leader in robotics innovation with a mission to amplify human potential.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive equity, 30+ paid days off, private healthcare, and free meals.
- Other info: Collaborate with top engineers and have direct input on product direction.
- Why this job: Be at the forefront of robotics, making a real impact on future technologies.
- Qualifications: Degree in relevant field and 5+ years in systems engineering or robotics software.
The predicted salary is between 54000 - 66000 £ per year.
Here at Humanoid, we believe in a future where robots amplify human potential. That’s why we’ve set out on a mission to build the world’s most capable, commercially-scalable, and safe humanoid robots. We’re bringing that mission to life with HMND‑01 Alpha - our rapidly developed humanoid platform now running in real industrial pilots - and we’re growing the team to take it even further.
About the Role
We are seeking a Senior Systems Engineer – Software & Autonomy to support the definition, architecture, integration, and verification of the software systems that enable our humanoid robotic platform. The role will work across perception, localisation, navigation, artificial intelligence, motion planning, controls, ROS 2 platform software, simulation, deployment, and diagnostics. You will collaborate with software leads and subject matter experts to translate product and operational needs into coherent capabilities, requirements, architectures, interfaces, integration plans, and verification criteria. This is a systems engineering position focused on the robot’s software and autonomy stack. It is not primarily a firmware development or electrical engineering role.
What You'll Do
- Obtain input from system leaders, product teams, and technical subject matter experts to translate stakeholder needs into clear and verifiable system and software requirements.
- Define the software capabilities required to support humanoid robot behaviours, operational use cases, and product objectives.
- Decompose system-level capabilities across perception, navigation, AI, planning, controls, core platform, and supporting software services.
- Develop and maintain the functional and logical architecture of the robot’s software and autonomy stack.
- Define system boundaries, responsibilities, dependencies, and interfaces between software components and technical teams.
- Establish interface requirements covering data ownership, message definitions, coordinate frames, units, timing, latency, synchronization, quality indicators, fault handling, and degraded operation.
- Support architectural decisions involving middleware, compute allocation, networking, simulation, software deployment, and distributed execution.
- Coordinate integration across perception, navigation, AI, controls, platform software, firmware, electronics, sensors, actuators, and mechanical systems.
- Identify cross-team assumptions, dependencies, architectural conflicts, and missing functionality before they become late-stage integration issues.
- Define integration stages, entry and exit criteria, required test environments, and readiness expectations.
- Lead or support the investigation of complex system-level issues involving multiple software components or interactions between software and hardware.
- Define nominal, degraded, recovery, fallback, and safe-state behaviours for software-intensive functions.
- Develop system-level verification and validation strategies for autonomous robotic capabilities.
- Establish measurable performance and acceptance criteria for perception, localization, navigation, planning, controls, AI, and integrated robot behaviours.
- Support scenario-based testing using simulation, software-in-the-loop, hardware-in-the-loop, laboratory testing, and physical robot testing.
- Maintain traceability between use cases, requirements, architecture, implementation, tests, and verification evidence.
- Work with safety engineers to ensure software behaviours support system safety requirements and hazard mitigations.
- Facilitate requirement, architecture, interface, integration, and system-readiness reviews.
- Communicate technical risks, capability limitations, integration status, and architectural trade-offs to engineering and program leadership.
- Coach engineering teams in practical systems engineering methods appropriate for an iterative robotics development environment.
What We're Looking For
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Systems Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, Mechatronics, Controls Engineering, or a related field.
- Five or more years of experience in systems engineering, robotics software, software architecture, autonomous systems, or a related technical domain.
- Experience working with complex software-intensive or cyber-physical systems composed of multiple interacting subsystems.
- Strong knowledge of requirements engineering, architecture definition, interface management, integration, verification, validation, and traceability.
- Technical experience in several of the following areas: ROS or ROS 2, Robotics software, Perception and sensor fusion, Localization, mapping, and navigation, Motion or behaviour planning, Manipulation, locomotion, or whole-body controls, Artificial intelligence or machine learning, Simulation and virtual testing, Distributed or real-time software systems.
- Ability to understand and evaluate software behaviour without being the primary implementation owner for every component.
- Experience defining measurable acceptance criteria for complex system behaviours.
- Ability to investigate issues spanning algorithms, software, computing, networking, firmware, sensors, actuators, and physical robot behaviour.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, leadership, and technical communication skills.
- Experience with humanoid robots, mobile robots, autonomous vehicles, industrial robotics, or similar systems.
- Familiarity with ROS 2 topics, services, actions, quality-of-service policies, lifecycle management, TF, rosbag, and distributed execution.
- Familiarity with C++, Python, Linux, Git, CI/CD, containers, and modern software development workflows.
- Experience with simulation tools such as Isaac Sim, Gazebo, MuJoCo, MATLAB/Simulink, or equivalent platforms.
- Experience with SysML, model-based systems engineering, or software architecture modelling.
- Familiarity with functional safety, SOTIF, machinery safety, cybersecurity, or safety assurance for autonomous systems.
- Understanding of machine-learning performance, uncertainty, dataset coverage, and scenario-based validation.
What We Offer
- Competitive equity: stock options with meaningful upside as we scale.
- 30+ paid days off, including 23 days of annual leave, all UK bank holidays, and additional company closure days (including Christmas–New Year shutdown).
- Private healthcare, including virtual and in-person care.
- Pension scheme with 8% total contribution (5% employee, 3% employer) on full earnings.
- Free daily breakfast, catered lunch, and snacks in-office.
- Work at the frontier - collaborate daily with world-class engineers, researchers, and product experts building the next generation of AI and humanoid robotics.
- Real ownership - direct access to founding leadership, meaningful input on product direction, and the ability to drive key initiatives from day one.
Senior Systems Engineer in London employer: Humanoid
Humanoid is an exceptional employer located in the vibrant city of London, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters innovation and collaboration. With a strong commitment to employee growth, we provide ample opportunities for professional development and advancement within the rapidly evolving field of robotics and AI. Our focus on delivering cutting-edge technology ensures that you will be part of a team that is not only shaping the future of industrial applications but also making a meaningful impact in the industry.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Systems Engineer in London
✨Dive into Robotics Meetups
Get yourself out there and connect with others in the robotics-automation field by attending local meetups and industry events. These gatherings are where the magic happens, and you might just rub shoulders with someone from Humanoid or get insider tips on upcoming vacancies.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Create a portfolio that highlights your robotics projects, whether they're personal, academic, or freelance. Share this on platforms like GitHub or your personal website, as it shows potential employers, like Humanoid, what you're made of and your hands-on experience in the field.
✨Utilise University Resources
If you're fresh out of university or still connected, don't underestimate your career services. They often have exclusive access to job fairs and employer networking events in technical fields like ours, so make sure you tap into those resources to discover openings at companies like Humanoid.
✨Engage in Online Communities
Join online communities that focus on robotics and automation, such as forums or LinkedIn groups. Engage in conversations, ask questions, and share insights. This not only builds your visibility but could also lead to direct connections at firms like Humanoid, which might have the full-time role you're after.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Systems Engineer in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Technical Skills:In the robotics and automation field, it's crucial to highlight your technical skills on your CV. Include specific programming languages, software platforms, and any relevant robotics experience. Don’t forget to mention any projects or systems you've developed – this info can really make you stand out!
Portfolio Perfection:Having a polished portfolio can speak volumes for a role in robotics. Include any relevant case studies, designs, or prototypes you've worked on. If you've participated in competitions or hackathons, showcase these achievements as well – they show initiative and problem-solving skills!
Tailored Cover Letter Magic:In your cover letter, don’t just tell us that you love robotics—tell us why you’re passionate about automation specifically! Explain how your skills can contribute to Humanoid’s projects and remember to connect your past experiences to what you'll be doing in this role.
Certifications Matter:If you’ve got any relevant certifications, such as in robotic process automation or machine learning, make sure they’re front and centre on your CV. These credentials show you're dedicated to your field and keep you up to date with industry standards – we love to see that!
How to prepare for a job interview at Humanoid
✨Showcase Your Technical Wizardry
For a role in robotics and automation at Humanoid, it's crucial to demonstrate your technical skills. Be prepared to dive into specifics about the programming languages and tools you’ve used, like Python or ROS (Robot Operating System). Brush up on your knowledge of algorithms and control systems, as these might come up during technical questions.
✨Bring Your Projects to Life
With a full-time position in robotics, you should have a portfolio of your projects ready to show. Whether it's a robot you built for a competition or a simple automation script, make sure you can discuss the challenges you faced and how you solved them. This hands-on experience is gold and shows you can apply theoretical knowledge in real-world scenarios.
✨Think Like an Engineer
Expect some problem-solving scenarios during your interview. You might be asked to design a basic automation solution on the spot or troubleshoot a robotic system. Practising these types of technical questions can really set you apart, as they require critical thinking and a systematic approach to tackle problems.
✨Culture Fit Is Key!
Don’t underestimate the importance of cultural fit at Humanoid. They might ask about your teamwork experience and how you handle challenges with peers. Be ready to share examples of working in diverse teams, as collaboration is often central to projects in robotics and automation.
