Senior Robotics Engineer, Humanoid Robotics Program

Join AstraZeneca's emerging Humanoid Robotics Program to help build the internal engineering capability needed to develop and deploy humanoid robotic systems across pharmaceutical manufacturing operations. This is a hands-on senior engineering role at the centre of a program that is technically ambitious, commercially significant, and genuinely novel in the sector.

As a Senior Robotics Engineer, you will be the internal technical anchor for the program, working closely with external partners and commercial platform vendors. The role requires someone who can engage as a genuine peer with specialist external teams, provide independent technical judgement, and ensure that engineering outputs meet AstraZeneca's standards as the program progresses toward live GMP deployment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Technical Direction: Provide hands-on technical leadership across use cases, working alongside external partners and platform vendors to guide engineering decisions and maintain delivery quality.
• Partner Collaboration: Act as the primary internal technical point of contact for external robotics partners, reviewing outputs, challenging assumptions, and ensuring work meets AstraZeneca's standards.
• Architecture & Validation: Own the technical architecture for assigned use cases and ensure engineering outputs are validated to a standard appropriate for downstream regulatory and GMP deployment.

Essential Skills & Experience:

• Degree in Robotics, Mechatronics, Computer Science, or a related engineering discipline.
• Significant hands-on experience in robotics engineering with demonstrable delivery on physical systems, not purely research or simulation.
• Strong proficiency in ROS / ROS 2 across system architecture, node development, and inter-process communication.
• Deep experience with robot perception, RGB/depth vision, force/torque sensing, sensor fusion and calibration.
• Proficiency in Python and C++ for robotics development.
• Strong grasp of simulation-first development and experience with environments such as Gazebo, Isaac Sim, or MuJoCo.
• Experience with grasp planning, manipulation control, and motion planning frameworks.
• Ability to critically evaluate third-party engineering work and hold external partners to a high technical standard.
• Comfortable working in ambiguous, fast-moving programmes where requirements evolve alongside capability.
• Strong communication skills, able to translate complex technical work for non-specialist stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working with humanoid or advanced dexterous manipulation platforms.
• Exposure to regulated manufacturing environments; pharmaceutical, medical device, food, or similar.
• Familiarity with GMP, validation frameworks, or quality management systems.
• Experience in a vendor management or partner oversight capacity.
• Understanding of machine learning approaches applied to robotic perception or control.
• Awareness of the commercial humanoid robotics landscape and emerging platform capabilities.

Why join us?

This is a rare opportunity to help build internal robotics capability in one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, working on a program that sits at the frontier of Physical AI in an industrial setting.

You’ll work at the intersection of advanced engineering, digital innovation and patient impact, collaborating with expert partners while helping AstraZeneca define what the future of intelligent manufacturing can look like.

About AstraZeneca

At AstraZeneca, we’re pushing the boundaries of science and technology to deliver life-changing medicines. We combine data, digital and AI innovation with deep scientific expertise to unlock the next wave of breakthroughs, working collaboratively across teams, functions and partners to create real patient impact.

When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we unleash bold thinking with the power to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform we need to connect, work at pace and challenge perceptions. That’s why we work, on average, a minimum of three days per week from the office. But that doesn't mean we’re not flexible. We balance the expectation of being in the office while respecting individual flexibility. Join us in our unique and ambitious world.

So, what’s next?

Ready to take the next step? Please submit your application no later than September 13th, 2026.

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