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Robotics Autonomy Engineer Jobs

Engineers who give robots the ability to act on their own: perception, localisation, planning and the software that ties them together.

Open roles
3
Hiring companies
2
View 3 live roles → Get an alert

Autonomy Engineers in robotics build the software that lets a robot understand where it is, decide what to do, and do it safely. Depending on the team that means work on SLAM, sensor fusion, motion planning, behaviour and the integration of all of these on a real platform.

Roles come from mobile robotics, autonomous vehicles, agriculture and inspection robotics, and research labs. Adverts typically ask for C++ and Python, ROS, and experience running software on real robots rather than only in simulation.

What the role does

Inside the role of a Robotics Autonomy Engineer

Most weeks combine development in simulation with testing on hardware and analysing logs from field runs.

  1. 01
    Develop localisation, planning or perception components in C++.
  2. 02
    Test changes in simulation before running them on the robot.
  3. 03
    Analyse logs from field tests to find failure cases.
  4. 04
    Integrate autonomy software with controls and hardware teams.
  5. 05
    Tune behaviour for safety and reliability in real environments.
Skills & tools

What hiring managers ask for

% of 4 listings posted in the last 12 months that mention each skill, extracted from job descriptions.

C++
75%
Python
50%
SLAM
50%
State Estimation
50%
Machine Learning
50%
Localisation
50%
ROS 2
25%
LiDAR-based SLAM
25%
Pose Graph Optimization
25%
Scan Matching
25%
Sensor Fusion
25%
Open3D
25%
Career ladder

From Junior to Principal

A typical UK progression for robotics autonomy engineers. Years are guidance — strong people move faster, and many senior folks sidestep into research, product or management.

  1. Level 1

    Autonomy Engineer

    0–3 yrs

    Develops and tests components within an existing autonomy stack.

  2. Level 2

    Senior Autonomy Engineer

    3–7 yrs

    Owns a part of the stack such as localisation or planning, from design to field validation.

  3. Level 3

    Staff Autonomy Engineer

    7–10 yrs

    Sets the architecture of the autonomy stack and leads integration across teams.

  4. Level 4

    Principal / Head of Autonomy

    10+ yrs

    Owns autonomy strategy and safety case for a product or programme.

Pathway

How to become a Robotics Autonomy Engineer

There's no single route, but most people follow some version of these steps.

  1. 1

    Build maths and programming foundations

    Linear algebra, probability and C++ are the core of most autonomy work.

  2. 2

    Learn the robotics stack

    ROS, simulation tools and classic algorithms for localisation and planning.

  3. 3

    Work on a real robot

    Research projects, competitions or placements that put software on hardware.

  4. 4

    Specialise in one area

    Go deep on perception, localisation, planning or behaviour.

  5. 5

    Lead autonomy systems

    Take responsibility for the whole stack and its validation.

Live jobs

3 live roles

Humanoid · 11–50 people · Series A

Senior Autonomy Engineer - SLAM & Navigation

  • London
  • On-site
  • Senior
  • Permanent

Lead the design of robust SLAM pipelines, long-term mapping and localisation loops, integrating foundation geometry models and modern ML into the core navigation stack. Build auto-labeling data pipelines and deploy low-latency spatial AI on physical robot hardware, bridging classical geometry with deep learning.

LiDAR

5 months ago

Humanoid · 11–50 people · Series A

Senior Autonomy Engineer - Spatial Intelligence

  • London
  • On-site
  • Senior
  • Permanent

Lead the design of state estimation, long-term mapping and localisation loops, integrating modern machine learning and foundation geometry models into the core navigation stack. Train and deploy large-scale multimodal networks for ultra-low latency performance on edge hardware, building 3D spatial representations that give robots persistent spatial memory. Works cross-functionally between research and reliable robot integration.

PyTorch · VLMs

Last month

Jonathan Lee Recruitment

Principal Autonomy Systems Engineer

  • Newport
  • On-site
  • £70,000 – £90,000 pa
  • Lead · manages people
  • Permanent

Lead the system architecture and technical roadmap for an autonomy stack spanning perception, localisation, planning, motion control and vehicle integration. Line manage 4-6 engineers, coordinate 3-4 subsystem suppliers, and drive C++/ROS2 delivery, verification and productionisation for agricultural vehicle technology.

ROS2 · C++ · Embedded Linux

Last week
Hiring locations

Where this role is hiring

The locations with the most live listings for this role today.

London

Location
2 open
FAQs

Common questions

  • Some research-heavy roles prefer one, but many product teams hire engineers with strong project experience and a relevant degree.

  • It appears in most adverts, though some companies use their own frameworks.

  • Controls engineers make a robot follow a command precisely. Autonomy engineers decide what those commands should be.

  • The salary section on this page is drawn from live adverts on the board.

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