Robotics Tech Lead

Your mission

The Role

We are looking for a proven Tech Lead to own the technical direction of Robotics Core; our team responsible for the algorithmic heart of every robot we ship.
Today, Robotics Core is a team of strong engineers with deep individual expertise. The next step is turning that individual depth into collective strength: a shared architectural model, meaningful cross-team code reviews, and a technical direction the whole team moves in together. That is what this role exists to build.
You will work alongside the Engineering Manager (who owns people, growth, and process) and own the technical half: direction, architecture, quality, and the knowledge structure that lets the team review each other's work meaningfully.
This is a hands-on role. You write and review code. You earn trust through the code, not from above it.


What You'll Do

Technical direction

• Establish and maintain a shared architectural vision for Robotics Core, what the team owns, how subsystems fit together, and where the boundaries with adjacent teams lie
• Define Robotics Core's ownership within our shared robotics platform: what is core, what is a product-specific concern, what is negotiated at the interface
• Drive architectural decisions on algorithms (SLAM, path planning, path control, traffic management) and hardware abstraction, making the call when the team is stuck, documenting the reasoning so it outlasts the conversation

Code quality and reviews

• Make code reviews meaningful again: break down silos by ensuring enough engineers (starting with yourself) understand every subsystem well enough to give substantive feedback
• Define and enforce coding standards, review practices, and technical debt boundaries
• Identify and sequence technical debt that blocks team velocity, and make the case for investment

Team technical growth

• Deliberately build cross-cutting knowledge: rotate ownership, pair on subsystem boundaries, run design sessions that pull the whole team into architectural decisions
• Mentor robotics engineers toward deeper architectural thinking, the goal is a team that can review each other without you in every loop

Platform and roadmap

• Translate the product roadmap into a concrete technical backlog for Robotics Core
• Represent Robotics Core's technical interests in cross-team forums, align with the frontend team on interface contracts, coordinate with SRE/Ops on fleet reliability requirements
• Stay ahead of technical risk: hardware lifecycle implications for firmware, regulatory constraints (CE, Cyber Resilience Act), sim-to-real gaps

Your profile

Must-have

• Proven experience as a Tech Lead in a software team; not just "senior engineer who reviewed PRs", but someone who has owned technical direction and is accountable for team-level quality
• ROS 2: you can review, design, and contribute to a ROS 2 codebase from week one
• Strong C++: this is the primary language of Robotics Core
• Solid fundamentals across mobile robotics: SLAM, path planning, sensor fusion, motion control; you don't have to be the world expert in every area, but you can engage deeply on all of them
• A track record of turning siloed technical ownership into shared ownership, you've broken down knowledge hoarding before and you know how

Nice-to-have

• Experience with intralogistics, AMRs, or warehouse automation
• Multi-robot coordination or fleet management systems
• Exposure to hardware abstraction layers or firmware/OS boundaries
• Python
• Experience shaping a shared platform or reference architecture used by multiple teams or products

What we offer

• Flexible Working Hours: There are no such thing as core work times.
• Public Transportation Allowance: We cover the majority of the cost of your commuter pass
• Sports: Get a free Urban Sports Club membership
• Learning Budget: A fixed yearly learning budget can be spent on anything.
• Discounts: We are part of the "Corporate Benefits" program.
• Accessibility: Our modern office space at ARENA2036 is barrier-free.

About us

Mobile robotics should enhance operations, not complicate them. NODE Robotics provides the tools to make that vision a reality. With our software and hardware products, businesses can integrate and manage mobile robots with confidence, efficiency, and ease.
Designed for seamless integration and intuitive usability, our software and hardware solutions empower businesses to get the most out of mobile robots – today and in the future.
We're a mobile robotics software company based in Stuttgart, Germany. Our team brings together expertise from diverse fields, including robotics, AI, software engineering and industrial operations.
This is what drives us besides the joint vision for easy to use mobile robots:

• As a team, our goal is to constantly improve and grow. One way we achieve this is by placing a high value on feedback and knowledge sharing. We believe that through these practices, we can learn from one another and ultimately become better as a team. This belief is reflected in our use of formats such as code review sessions and development recaps, which allow us to share our insights and experiences with one another.
• We are a team of robotics enthusiasts, we strive for daily improvement in order to maintain the edge we inherited from Fraunhofer IPA, which is Europe's leading powerhouse in robotics. Our goal is to build upon our inherited legacy and push the boundaries of robotics technology even further. With our passion and dedication to this field, we believe that we can make significant advancements and contribute to the evolution of the robotics industry.
• Our goal is to revolutionize the use of mobile robots in the industry. To achieve this, we adopt a customer-centric approach that emphasizes building mutually beneficial relationships with our clients. By doing so, we are able to gain insight into their needs and preferences, which allows us to integrate their feedback directly into the development of our products. Ultimately, this approach ensures that our solutions are tailored to the specific requirements of our customers, thereby enabling us to deliver superior value and achieve long-term success.
• As a startup, we are able to capitalize on our major benefits of speed and agility. Our team embodies a culture where every single member takes full responsibility for their impact, allowing us to gain traction on a daily basis. This combination of speed, agility, and accountability is what sets us apart and allows us to thrive in the competitive startup landscape.

We make mobile robots easy to use.