(Senior) Research Scientist (f/m/d) Industrial Service Robotics (80-100%)

About the company

At ABB, we help industries outrun - leaner and cleaner. Here, progress is an expectation - for you, your team, and the world. As a global market leader, we’ll give you what you need to make it happen. It won’t always be easy, growing takes grit. But at ABB, you’ll never run alone. Run what runs the world.

ABB is a global technology leader in electrification and automation. We see our purpose as being to enable a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. By connecting our engineering and digitalization expertise, we help industries run at high performance, while becoming more efficient, productive and sustainable so they outperform. We call this: ‘Engineered to Outrun.’ We have around 110,000 employees worldwide and a history that stretches back more than 140 years.

Your tasks

Your role and responsibilities We are seeking a scientist with expertise in mobile robot systems and their deployment in semi-structured environments. You will be part of a multidisciplinary team at ABB's Corporate Research Center in Mannheim, developing autonomous robotic solutions for industrial service applications such as inspection, maintenance support, and asset monitoring. Your work will help explore future applications of robotics and contribute to ABB's R&D strategy.

Your main responsibilities include

• You evaluate priority use cases for industrial service robotics in close collaboration with ABB's divisions, academia and technology partners
• You design and develop service robot solutions built on commercial robot hardware platforms extending their capabilities for industrial environments
• You enable such robots to perceive and act (semi-)autonomously in industrial environments, building upon advanced sensing & perception technologies and physical AI
• You develop and maintain experimental setups in our labs, and conduct field trials and on-site validation at partner facilities
• You communicate complex technical results clearly to a wide audience, including technical experts, project partners, and general management
• You protect intellectual property through patent applications and publish scientific articles
• You continuously develop your technical expertise and extend your project management skills with training and on-the-job experience
• You maintain a broader overview of industrial robotics and scout novel technologies
• You initiate, lead, and contribute to applied research activities

Requirements

• You hold a PhD in robotics, electrical engineering, mechatronics, computer science, or a related field
• You have a track record of 3+ years programming and deploying mobile robot systems in semi-structured/unstructured environments and a solid understanding of robot kinematics
• You bring practical experience in system integration, system architecture, and ROS 2 (preferred) or equivalent robotic frameworks
• You have experience applying machine learning and/or physical AI to robot systems
• You have technical experience in one or more of the following fields:
• Techniques for autonomous navigation, task planning and orchestration
• Perception and sensing (e.g. LiDAR, depth cameras, sensor fusion)
• Environment modeling and simulation (e.g. Gazebo, Isaac Sim)
• Robotic manipulation and control
• Familiarity with functional safety principles and relevant standards is a plus
• You are proficient in English; German language skills are beneficial

What we offer

• Flexible work practices
• Career development and training opportunities, on and off the job
• In-house canteen
• Employee Share Acquisition Plan
• Mobility benefits, such as JobRad
• Retirement plan

We empower you to take initiative, challenge ideas, and lead with confidence. You’ll grow through meaningful work, continuous learning, and support that’s tailored to your goals. Every idea you share and every action you take contributes to something bigger.

How to apply

We value people from different backgrounds. Could this be your story? Apply today or visit http://www.abb.com to read more about us and learn about the impact of our solutions across the globe.

Other

The work model for the role is: Hybrid

For this position ABB performs pre-employment screening in alignment with local legislation before extending an offer. By applying to this open role you agree with this process, and specific consent from you for the pre-employment screening will be addressed during the recruitment process. Please be assured that only business-related topics will be part of the pre-employment screening.

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