Robotics Systems Validation Engineer (m/f/d)

📍 Zürich / Eschikon (up to 40% remote)

🕐 Full-Time | Entry-Level | Start: ASAP

Caterra is building alternatives to the extensive manual labour still used in modern agriculture. Today, the only alternative to herbicides in vegetable farming is a combination of mechanical hacking, flaming and hand weeding. To make scalable organic farming possible, technologies are needed that greatly reduce production costs.

Thanks to its laser-based approach Caterra’s robot allows the removal of weeds which are in close proximity to the crop, something mechanical methods are unable to do. Small, lightweight, fully electrical and chemical free!

Caterra is an ETH-spinoff founded in 2023 and based in Zurich.

Your Role

As a Test & Software Engineer at Caterra, you will play a key role in ensuring the reliability and safety of our robotic systems. You’ll be responsible for designing and implementing test infrastructure, writing test cases, and working across the software stack—from autonomy and safety systems to GUI, laser control, and more. You’ll collaborate closely with both the development and operations teams, especially during the field season, helping to debug and resolve real-world issues on deployed robots.

Your Responsibilities

Develop and maintain automated tests for software components
Design and implement system-level and integration tests
Set up and maintain CI/CD pipelines for testing and quality assurance
Use simulation tools (e.g., Gazebo) to test robot behavior in virtual environments
Design and conduct hardware/software interaction tests
Support the commissioning and validation of new robotic platforms
Collaborate with operations and development teams to identify and resolve bugs in the field
Contribute to improving system robustness, reliability, and maintainability

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent work experience) in Computer Science, Robotics, or a related field
Proficient in Python and C++
Comfortable working with Linux-based systems
Experience with Git, CI/CD tools, and Docker
Self-driven and pragmatic approach to problem-solving
Fluent in English (spoken and written)
Must be a citizen of an EU or EFTA country (we currently cannot support visa/permit sponsorship)

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with ROS 2 and Gazebo
Familiarity with networking, camera systems, and sensor integration
Fluency in German (bonus: French)
Advanced degree or equivalent industry experience

Optional (depending on skills)

Assist in certification processes and compliance testing
Identify performance bottlenecks and optimize software performance
Contribute to other development tasks across the software stack

What We Offer

Be part of a mission-driven, collaborative startup
Flexible working hours and remote-friendly culture
Work on real-world robotics with tangible impact in agriculture
Young, motivated, and passionate team
The opportunity to shape the future of sustainable European farming

Application

Please send us your CV and a motivation letter. Let us know why you’re interested in the position.