Robotics Engineer

(Senior) Robotics Software Engineer (m/f/d)

STARK

ABOUT US STARK is a defense technology company revolutionizing the way autonomous systems are deployed across multiple domains. We design, develop and manufacture high-performance unmanned vehicles that are software-defined, mass-scalable, and cost effective – giving NATO and its allies a decisive edge in the most contested environments.  We’re focused on delivering deployable, high-performance systems—not future promises. In a time of rising threats, STARK is bolstering the technological edge of NATO Allies and their Partners to deter aggression and defend Europe—today. ABOUT THE TEAM Minerva is STARK's command and control software — the brain that connects operators to autonomous systems across multiple domains in real time. The Minerva team is a small, senior software group based in Berlin and Munich, working directly with our systems and hardware teams to build mission-critical C2 capabilities deployed in active operational environments. We move fast, ship real software, and operate under constraints most engineers never encounter — low-bandwidth networks, air-gapped devices, high-stakes decision loops. There is no room for abstraction for its own sake. Everything we build ends up in the hands of real operators in the field. YOUR MISSION As a Robotics Engineer with a focus on embedded perception systems, you will play a critical role in enabling real-time autonomy onboard next-generation UAV platforms. You will work directly with camera data pipelines, ROS2-based systems, and embedded compute platforms to build robust, efficient, and scalable perception functionality. You will contribute as a highly skilled individual contributor—hands-on with the system—bridging diverse codebases and enabling data flows across native ROS2 nodes, legacy frameworks, and containerized third-party modules. Your work will be essential to ensuring that our autonomous systems operate reliably in real-world, resource-constrained environments. RESPONSIBILITIES * Develop and integrate real-time perception pipelines on embedded platforms such as the Jetson Nano NX. * Migrate legacy monolithic systems to ROS2, refactoring and modularizing components for better scalability and maintainability. * Enable and optimize image data access across native and containerized components (e.g., Dockerized ROS2 processes). * Design and implement low-level camera and sensor drivers for real-time vision acquisition. * Collaborate with AI, controls, and hardware teams to ensure tight integration between perception and other onboard subsystems. * Profile and debug system performance under embedded constraints (compute, thermal, bandwidth), ensuring stability and robustness in field deployments. * Contribute to system-level architecture discussions with a focus on communication reliability and modularity. QUALIFICATIONS * Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering or a related technical field. * Strong experience with ROS2, including real-world deployment and integration of perception modules. * Proficient in Python and C++ for embedded and robotics development. * Solid background in robotics, autonomous systems, embedded development, or aerospace applications. * Familiarity with embedded Linux platforms, particularly NVIDIA Jetson devices. * Experience integrating containerized processes (e.g., Docker) into onboard robotic systems. * Ability to navigate and coordinate between different frameworks (ROS2, legacy/custom codebases, third-party modules). * Strong problem-solving and debugging skills, especially in real-time or resource-constrained environments. * Effective communicator and team player in multidisciplinary engineering teams. * Self-driven, organized, and adaptable to fast-paced development cycles. * Willingness to travel occasionally for field testing and deployment.

GNC/Autopilot Engineering Manager (All genders)

STARK

ABOUT US STARK is a new kind of defence technology company revolutionising the way autonomous systems are deployed across multiple domains. We design, develop, and manufacture high-performance unmanned systems that are software-defined, mass-scalable, and cost-effective — providing operators with a decisive edge in contested environments. We are focused on delivering deployable, high-performance systems — not future promises. In a time of rising threats, STARK is bolstering the technological edge of NATO Allies and their Partners to deter aggression and defend Europe, today. YOUR MISSION You will own the flight control and navigation stack that keeps our autonomous platforms stable, predictable, and precise — from first power-on to final approach (GNC = Guidance, Navigation, Control) . This isn't a maintenance role: you're building the control and state-estimation foundation that every other system on the platform depends on, while growing a team of engineers who can own that responsibility with you. Success looks like a navigation and control stack that performs reliably under the demanding, contested conditions our systems are built for.  RESPONSIBILITIES * Lead and grow a fast-expanding team of engineers working on flight control, guidance, and state estimation * Facilitate and execute the technical direction for the STARK autopilot stack: control theory (PID/LQR/MPC), sensor fusion architecture, state estimation (EKF/UKF), and real-time performance * Partner with hardware, perception, and systems engineering teams to ensure navigation performance holds end-to-end, not just in isolation * Own technical roadmap planning for your domain and represent it to your Director and cross-functional stakeholders * Bring software engineering best practices to the team such as the C4 architecture model, clean code principles and software design patterns * Moderate the peer review process with the team and ensure knowledge sharing and across different seniorities * Drive hiring, mentoring, and career development for your team as well as ways of working together * Report on technical risk, schedule, and capacity to leadership * Drive test and validation strategy, from simulation and HIL testing through live trials QUALIFICATIONS * 7+ years of software (robotics) engineering experience in the domain of GNC (guidance, navigation, and control) * 3+ years in a leadership role (Team Lead, Head of, Engineering Manager, or equivalent) with direct people management experience * Provent track record of deploying robotics software application into production environment * Strong knowledge about the GNC domain * Fluent English; German is a plus NICE TO HAVE * Proven track record taking autonomous systems with GNSS-denied navigation system from design to production fielded, flight-tested products * Experience with PX4, ArduPilot, or comparable open-source autopilot stacks * Background in aerospace, robotics, or MINT programs * Exposure to systems operating in contested or degraded environments * Prior experience scaling a technical team in a startup or fast-growing engineering org * Familiarity with MIL-STD or STANAG-aligned development practices If you're interested in building the future of European defence with us and you see yourself reflected in the description above, please send us your CV in English. We’re looking forward to meeting you.

Simulation Engineer (Controls) - (All Genders)

STARK

ABOUT US STARK is a new kind of defence technology company revolutionising the way autonomous systems are deployed across multiple domains. We design, develop and manufacture high performance unmanned systems that are software-defined, mass-scalable, and cost effective. This provides our operators with a decisive edge in highly contested environments. We’re focused on delivering deployable, high-performance systems—not future promises. In a time of rising threats, STARK is bolstering the technological edge of NATO Allies and their Partners to deter aggression and defend Europe—today. YOUR MISSION This role demands more than standard simulation engineering. Working in defence technology means operating close to the realities of modern conflict and building simulation environments that must reliably support development, validation, and mission preparation in demanding conditions. The work is challenging, mission-driven, and grounded in real operational needs.  As Simulation Engineer, you will develop and maintain high-fidelity simulation systems that help validate embedded, robotics, and unmanned platforms before they are deployed in the real world. RESPONSIBILITIES * Develop, maintain, and extend simulation environments for autonomous and unmanned systems * Build and integrate physics-based simulation frameworks for robotics, aerospace, and embedded system validation * Design and maintain realistic simulation scenarios for navigation, control, perception, and mission-level behavior * Work with physics engines and simulation stacks to model vehicle dynamics, sensors, actuators, and environmental effects * Support software-in-the-loop, system-in-the-loop, and hardware-in-the-loop testing workflows * Develop and maintain SITL and HITL test setups for embedded systems, autonomy software, and robotic platforms * Integrate simulation environments with ROS2-based autonomy stacks and embedded software workflows * Support validation and testing of guidance, navigation, control, and perception algorithms in simulated environments * Create synthetic test environments for contested, degraded, and GNSS-denied conditions * Develop interfaces between simulators, autopilots, middleware, and edge software systems * Conduct debugging, verification, and performance analysis across simulation and real-system interfaces * Collaborate closely with autonomy, embedded, robotics, and test engineers to ensure simulation supports real development needs * Produce technical documentation, test reports, and analysis of simulation fidelity, limitations, and results QUALIFICATIONS * Strong programming skills in C/C++ and Python * Good understanding of physics, classical mechanics, and system dynamics * Hands-on experience with physics engines and simulation frameworks * Experience with NVIDIA simulation tools and/or open-source simulation stacks * Experience with robotics or unmanned systems simulation workflows * Experience with SITL and HITL testing * Experience integrating simulation with ROS2-based systems * Strong debugging, validation, and testing skills * Good understanding of sensor simulation, actuator modeling, and system interfaces * Experience working with Linux-based development environments * Ability to build reliable simulation pipelines for software development, test, and validation * Structured engineering mindset with strong analytical and problem-solving ability Nice to Have * A university degree in Physics, Aerospace Engineering, Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field * Strong background in rigid body dynamics, flight dynamics, multibody systems, control theory, or numerical methods * Experience with NVIDIA Isaac Sim, Isaac Lab, Omniverse, Gazebo, Ignition, AirSim, PX4 SITL, ArduPilot SITL, JMAVSim, or similar frameworks * Experience with GPU-accelerated simulation, rendering, or synthetic data generation * Experience modeling EO, IR, IMU, GNSS, barometer, lidar, radar, or camera sensors * Experience with Monte Carlo analysis, scenario generation, and simulation-based validation * Understanding of aerodynamic modeling, propulsion modeling, and environmental effects such as wind and turbulence * Experience with real-time simulation constraints and hardware interfacing for HITL setups * Experience in autonomous systems, aerospace, UAVs, UGVs, defence systems, or advanced robotics * Familiarity with embedded systems, middleware, and autonomy software stacks * Experience supporting field tests by correlating simulation results with real-world data If you´re interested in building the future of European Defence with us, and you see yourself reflected in the description above, please send us your CV in English. We´re looking forward to meeting you!