Systems Engineer (Excavator Automation)
Description
Gravis Robotics is a high-growth Series A start-up backed by SoftBank, bringing Physical AI to the construction industry, turning heavy construction machines into autonomous robots.
Gravis began as an ETH Zurich spin-out, and our unique combination of learning-based automation and augmented remote control lets one operator safely conduct a fleet of earthmoving machines in a gamified environment.
Backed by deep robotics research and now deployed across multiple countries with leading construction and equipment partners, our team is rapidly growing to bring this technology to a trillion-dollar industry.
The Gravis RACK is a machine-agnostic retrofit kit that adds autonomy to excavators and wheel loaders from 10 to 100+ tonnes: LiDAR and camera sensing, GNSS RTK, networking hardware and rugged edge compute that works offline. Paired with the Slate tablet and our Copilot software, it lets an operator run a machine manually, with AI assistance, or fully autonomously.
About the Job
The autonomy team at Gravis builds autonomous systems for excavators operating in real construction environments. This role is at the intersection of system engineering, integration, field deployments, and debugging.
We are looking for an engineer with a degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Robotics or relevant fields and at least 2 years of practical, hands-on experience working with real systems - and if they fail, you can help us figure out why. This is not an entry-level or new-graduate role.
What you will do
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Validate system behavior across machines, environments, and operating conditions
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Identify edge cases, failure modes, and operational limits
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Collaborate with engineering teams on making technical decisions on a system level
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Investigate system failure during field testing or deployments
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Apply hotfixes when appropriate
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Support or conduct deployments if needed, especially pilots or beta customers
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Support/conduct atypical deployments, pilots, and beta customers
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Capture lessons learned from deployments and feed them back into system testing and design
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Help prioritize fixes and improvements based on real-world impact
What we're looking for
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Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, or a closely related field
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2+ years of hands-on experience working with complex systems (automation, robotics, vehicles, heavy machinery, industrial equipment, or similar)
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Strong system-level troubleshooting and debugging skills
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C++ and Python programming skills, proficiency in git systems
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Proficiency in Linux systems
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Comfortable working in field environments (construction sites, test yards, deployments)
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Ability to travel abroad, according to needs of the business
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Driver’s license B category
Beneficial
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Experience with excavators, heavy equipment, or off-road vehicles
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Field testing experience
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Familiarity with communication technologies such as DDS, Zenoh, LCM etc.
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Experience in motion planning or control
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Experience in robotic competitions
Don't meet every requirement? If you're enthusiastic about this role but your experience doesn't match every qualification, we still encourage you to apply. You might be the perfect candidate for this or other positions.
This is an opportunity to join a dynamic, multidisciplinary team and to be part of a company that is reshaping heavy construction.
Gravis is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team, and do not discriminate based on race, colour, ancestry, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, gender identity, gender expression, disability, veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics.
Skills
As published by lever · 11 questions · 6 written answers
Basics
Resume/CV, Full name, Pronouns, Email, Phone, Current location, Current company, LinkedIn URL, Other website URL
Short answers (2)
- Nationality
- When are you able to start?
Pick from a list (1)
- Current Work/Residence Permit optional
Written answers (6)
- Please describe 2 past experiences where you had to understand and debug a complex autonomous system. What were the system components? What tools did you use to isolate and pinpoint the problem? optional
- Have you ever given a robot demo? How many times? optional
- Are you available for travelling on customer sites if the business requires so (often on short notice)? The requests often come with short notice. optional
- To be successful in this position, you are required to do a mix of field testing and SW development. What excites you about the field engineering? optional
- Have you ever had to hotfix things in limited time with limited resources? If yes, tell us what it was? How did you resolve the constraints? optional
- Driving license type: optional
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