Descripción
Join Way of Water, a funded field-robotics project at ETH Zurich (Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control, Research D'Andrea). This is a project employee (staff) role: you come in to deliver engineering work for the life of the project. It is not a PhD position and not an academic training track. We build autonomous surface robots that have to survive rain, spray, transport, and real water, then come back for the next campaign. This role is for someone with a mechanical and hardware bent who wants ownership, not a fixed drawing list. You will shape the physical platform: structure, mechanisms, sealing, mounts, and how things get built and fixed. The brief will widen as designs move from prototype to fleet and as field lessons rewrite assumptions. Specialization helps you start strong. Curiosity across the stack is how you grow into more. Compensation is competitive for a funded project role and depends on experience. 100%, IDSC - Research D'Andrea, Fixed-term project staff (~18 months) Own the physical robot: structure, mechanisms, enclosures, mounts and the path from idea to a part that can be built again. Design with manufacture, assembly, sealing and service in mind. Then prove it with prototypes, fixtures and tests, including outdoors. Work at the seams with electronics and software: space, connectors, heat, cables, access, and what happens when water and vibration show up. Partner with workshops, suppliers and technicians so drawings turn into reliable assemblies and field issues turn into controlled changes. Leave a trail: clear models, revisions and build notes so the next person (including future you) can move faster. About 0–5 years of hands-on experience after your degree. Internships, thesis projects, Focus projects and paid project work count. This is an early-career project-staff role. A background in mechanical engineering, mechatronics, robotics or equivalent practical engineering experience. Evidence you have taken hardware from concept to a tested