Senior Robotic Software Engineer

Location: Cambridge, England, gb

Company Description

Cell therapies are already changing what’s possible for patients, including people living with cancers and other diseases that have had few options until now. The challenge is access. If we want these therapies to reach far more patients, we need manufacturing that can scale without losing quality or control. At Cellular Origins, that’s exactly what we’re building, and in this role you’ll help make that scale real, by turning complex robotic behaviour into something reliable, repeatable, and ready for regulated production.

Cellular Origins is enabling the manufacture of cell therapies at scale through Constellation, our platform that uses mobile robotics and AI to automate and connect proven bioprocess tools, so therapies don’t need to be re-developed for commercialisation. It’s a factory-led approach designed to accelerate time-to-market and reduce risk, while supporting the production of 100,000s of doses.

Job Description

About the role

As a Senior Robotic Software Engineer, you’ll take ownership of advanced robotic subsystems within Constellation, from early design thinking through to integration and delivery. You’ll be close to the real system, shaping software that controls Integrated Mobile Robots (IMRs), combining 6-DoF robotic arms and AMRs, alongside machine vision and industrial communications. This is hands-on technical leadership, with plenty of space to influence architecture, quality, and how we build as a team.

What you’ll do

You’ll be part of the Robotics Team, working across software, hardware, systems and product to make sure the full platform behaves as one.

You’ll get to:

• Own key robotic software subsystems, from requirements and architecture through to implementation and verification

• Build and refine high-performance control and orchestration software for IMRs, including motion, behaviours, and system state management

• Develop robust ROS2-based components and tooling that are testable, maintainable, and built for long-term evolution

• Integrate machine vision inputs into real robotic decisions, where timing and reliability really matter

• Use industrial messaging and networking approaches (including MQTT where appropriate) to connect robotic subsystems into the wider platform

• Drive quality through strong engineering practice, including CI/CD, code review, automated testing, and clear technical documentation

• Lead and mentor others, unblocking progress, raising standards, and helping the team deliver with confidence

Qualifications

About you

You’ll enjoy this role if you like solving problems that sit right on the boundary between software and real-world physics, and you care about building systems that behave predictably under pressure. You’ll bring a mix of curiosity and discipline, because safety, traceability, and repeatability matter just as much as clever code.

You’ll bring:

• Strong industry experience in robotics or automation (typically 3+ years), ideally across mobile robots, multi-DoF arms, and vision systems

• High confidence in Python, plus solid version control habits and comfort working with CI/CD pipelines

• Practical ROS1/ROS2 experience, including debugging real robotic systems when the logs are messy and the clock is ticking

• Familiarity with industrial network protocols and the realities of integrating across software and electro-mechanical systems

• Experience building and debugging safety-critical or safety-relevant control software, with a mindset for risk, verification, and robustness

• The ability to lead technical work across disciplines, communicate clearly, and keep delivery moving in an agile environment

• This role is a full-time, on-site position at our campus in Melbourn.

Additional Information

Benefits

Cellular Origins is based on the TTP Campus, within purpose-built sustainable offices, labs and green surroundings, 10 miles south of Cambridge. Our working culture encourages entrepreneurship, shared ideas and collaboration, while providing you the freedom to do your best work.

Our employee benefits include:

• Annual bonus
• 25 days holiday
• Employer pension contribution of 10% of salary
• Free lunch and all-day refreshments
• Private medical insurance for employees and dependants
• Enhanced family friendly leave
• Life insurance worth 6x salary
• Electric car leasing scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Season ticket loan
• Activities and community that supports healthy activities that bring colleagues together; whether it’s lunchtime squash or football, Zumba or our own rock band. Colleagues initiate new clubs and outings whenever they feel there’s something missing!
• Local sports facilities and theatre discounts and memberships.

Ready to build something that matters?

If you want your robotics work to directly shape how life-changing therapies reach more patients, we’d love to hear from you. Apply now, and tell us what you’ve built, what you’ve learned, and what you’re excited to take on next.