Principal Robotics Architect (Visa Sponsorship provided)

Principal Robotics Architect

Hardware Abstraction | Embedded C++ | ROS2 | Distributed Systems

Location: Glasgow (Hybrid)

Job Type: Permanent

The Opportunity

This is not a typical robotics role.

This is a platform-defining architecture position at the point where hardware, software, and AI converge.

Right now, robotics systems are evolving from bespoke machines → scalable, software-defined platforms.

You won’t just optimise systems.

You’ll define how they fundamentally work going forward.

What You’ll Actually Be Doing

You’ll own the architecture that connects:

Physical robotic systems

Embedded control layers

Cloud infrastructure

AI-driven execution

At the centre of it all:

You’ll design a Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) that allows a single instruction set to run across multiple generations of hardware.

In simple terms — you make robotics programmable at scale.

The Real Challenge

This isn’t just embedded.

This isn’t just cloud.

It’s both — and the hard part in between.

You’ll be solving:

How to split decision-making between cloud vs edge

How to guarantee safe execution under latency or failure

How to run real-time systems across distributed environments

How to standardise control across non-uniform hardware

How to turn physical systems into continuously updatable platforms

Most teams never get this right.

That’s why this role exists.

What Makes This Role Different

You define the architecture — not inherit it

True edge + cloud ownership — not siloed engineering

Safety-critical systems — your decisions actually matter

Greenfield direction — setting standards, not following them

Direct CTO access — no layers, no politics

What You’ll Be Building

A contract-first HAL separating hardware from software cleanly

An event-driven control backbone (MQTT / NATS style systems)

Edge-first execution models (cloud = intent, edge = action)

Simulation + digital twin environments for safe testing at scale

Modern embedded pipelines (OTA updates, HIL testing, CI/CD)

What We’re Looking For

You’re a rare profile — but you’ll recognise yourself:

Deep embedded C/C++ experience (8+ years)

Background in robotics, automotive, aerospace, or industrial systems

Strong experience with ROS2 / DDS or similar frameworks

Comfortable across:

Python

APIs (REST / gRPC / GraphQL)

Containers (Docker)

Messaging systems (Kafka / NATS / RabbitMQ)

You’ve designed systems where:

Latency matters

Failure has real-world consequences

Software directly controls physical systems

Most importantly:

You think in systems, not components.

Why It’s Worth a Conversation

If you’re someone who:

Is tired of incremental robotics work

Wants to define a platform, not just build features

Enjoys solving edge vs cloud architecture problems

And wants ownership over systems that will scale globally

For more info, Please share updated CV at shameena@Lsarecruit.co.uk