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Career at Duatic

Lead Manipulation & AI Engineer

Location
Zurich (CH) | Esslingen (DE)
Type
Full-Time

About us

Born from the labs of ETH Zurich in 2024, Duatic is for the restless and the brilliant who are ready to engineer the workforce of tomorrow. We are pioneering human-scale, dual-arm robotics by merging groundbreaking hardware with intelligent software - creating systems that don't just automate, but truly collaborate to solve global labor shortages. As a young, high-velocity startup, we trade bureaucracy for pure ownership. We are looking for ambitious engineers and PhDs eager to bridge the gap between leading-edge science and real-world impact. If you are ready to leave the safe path and build technology that defines a generation, join us at the ground floor.

Overview

We are seeking a Lead Manipulation & AI Architect to engineer intelligence into our world-class, custom-built dual-arm hardware. In this foundational leadership role, you will hold full ownership of the robot’s physical interaction capabilities, building the team and infrastructure that fuses classical control with cutting-edge Reinforcement Learning.

You will leverage the full potential of our state-of-the-art actuators and sensing to master complex, high-precision tasks, pushing the limits of what sophisticated mechatronics can achieve. If you are driven to define the motion intelligence for a machine that operates at the very edge of physical possibility, this is your opportunity to lead.

Essential Skills

  • PhD or MSc in Robotics, CS, or related field (or equivalent experience) focused on manipulation, control, or learning
  • Expert-level C++ and Python programming skills within a ROS 2 environment
  • Practical experience combining Reinforcement Learning (RL) with classical control (specifically Sim2Real transfer)
  • Deep background in control theory (e.g., impedance/torque control, MPC) and rigid body dynamics
  • Hands-on experience implementing algorithms for grasp planning, force control, or in-hand manipulation
  • Solid communication skills in English

Benefits / Culture

  • Build from Scratch: As the architect of our manipulation stack, you will bridge the gap between sophisticated mechatronics and cutting-edge AI, designing the core algorithms that allow our robots to perform previously impossible tasks with human-like dexterity.

  • True Ownership & Impact: See your work come to life from day one. As a foundational hire, your work will directly shape our technology and our company.
  • Elite, Hands-on Team: Work in a fast-paced, high-performance environment alongside top robotics talent rooted in ETH Zurich research.
  • No Red Tape: We're an ambitious, focused team driven by growth and excellence, not bureaucracy.
  • Join our team in Zurich (CH) or Esslingen am Neckar (DE). We value in-person collaboration, most work is on-site, with some hybrid flexibility. Full remote work is not possible.

Ready to build the future?

Send Application