What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Automation Engineer (Robotics) position at SLAS (Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening)?
SAEKI - Manufacturing at software speed
Europe's defense industrial base cannot respond at the speed modern conflict requires. Legacy suppliers operate on month-long timelines. Tribal knowledge is retiring. Supply chains are fragile. SAEKI is building the operating system for autonomous factories — the infrastructure that lets Europe manufacture mission-critical components at software speed.
You'll own the robotic systems that make Factory ONE autonomous: the industrial robots that handle parts between machines, the automated material transport systems, and the sensor-driven feedback loops that keep everything running without human intervention. Your work directly determines whether our factory operates with 3 operators or 30.
The Role
As a Senior Automation Engineer (Robotics), you will design, program, and commission the robotic workcells and automated material handling systems at Factory ONE. You are the person who turns our factory from a collection of standalone machines into an integrated, autonomous production line.
Based on-site at Factory ONE in Munich, you'll work at the intersection of mechanical engineering, robotics software, and production operations — programming robots, integrating sensors, and ensuring that automated sequences run reliably under real production conditions.
What We're Looking For
Europe's defense industrial base cannot respond at the speed modern conflict requires. Legacy suppliers operate on month-long timelines. Tribal knowledge is retiring. Supply chains are fragile. SAEKI is building the operating system for autonomous factories — the infrastructure that lets Europe manufacture mission-critical components at software speed.
You'll own the robotic systems that make Factory ONE autonomous: the industrial robots that handle parts between machines, the automated material transport systems, and the sensor-driven feedback loops that keep everything running without human intervention. Your work directly determines whether our factory operates with 3 operators or 30.
The Role
As a Senior Automation Engineer (Robotics), you will design, program, and commission the robotic workcells and automated material handling systems at Factory ONE. You are the person who turns our factory from a collection of standalone machines into an integrated, autonomous production line.
Based on-site at Factory ONE in Munich, you'll work at the intersection of mechanical engineering, robotics software, and production operations — programming robots, integrating sensors, and ensuring that automated sequences run reliably under real production conditions.
What We're Looking For
- 5 years of experience in industrial robotics — programming, integrating, and commissioning robotic workcells in a production environment.
- Robot Programming Mastery: Expert-level proficiency in at least one major robot programming language/system (e.g., KUKA KRL, ABB RAPID, Fanuc TP/Karel, or Universal Robots). Any of these vendor-specific systems is acceptable. Experience with offline programming and simulation tools is expected.
- Systems Integration: Proven ability to integrate robots with peripheral equipment — CNC machines, conveyors, vision systems, grippers, and sensors. You understand mechanical interfaces, I/O mapping, and communication protocols.
- Vision and Sensing: Experience with machine vision systems for part recognition, quality inspection, or robot guidance. Familiarity with 3D scanning or structured light systems is a plus.
- Safety Engineering: Deep understanding of industrial robot safety standards (ISO 10218, ISO/TS 15066) and risk assessment methodologies.
- Hands-on Commissioning: You are comfortable on the factory floor — wiring, calibrating, and troubleshooting robotic systems until they run reliably.
- Diagnostics Skills: Strong diagnostics capability across robots, peripherals, safety, I/O, and industrial communications. You can isolate root causes quickly under production pressure.
- General-Purpose Programming Mastery: Expert-level proficiency in Python, C , or a similar general-purpose language, with the same depth and rigor as your robot-controller programming skills. You are comfortable in software team workflows (Git, code reviews, and CI/CD) and have practical experience with Docker and SQL databases.
- Location: Based in Munich (on-site at Factory ONE).
- Language: Fluent in German and English.
- Robotics researchers who have only worked in lab environments. Our robots operate in a real production facility with real delivery deadlines.
- Engineers who see their scope as ending at the robot controller. You own the full workcell — robot, peripherals, safety, and integration with the factory OS.
- People who are uncomfortable troubleshooting under pressure. When a robotic cell goes down during production, you are the first responder.
- Automation specialists with no interest in software. You will collaborate daily with our OS and MI teams.
- Mission: Rebuild the industrial sovereignty of the West. Your work directly enables the production of mission-critical hardware for defense and space.
- Total Ownership: High-stakes autonomy in your domain. You own both the problems and the solutions — and have the authority to execute.
- The Environment: Access to a 5,000m² state-of-the-art facility featuring 5-axis CNCs, industrial robots, and large-scale 3D printers. Your work runs on real hardware from day one.
- The Team: "Special Forces" model. Everyone senior, everyone ships. No politics, no bureaucracy. Direct feedback, high standards.
- Compensation: Competitive salary meaningful equity.
- Location: Factory ONE in Munich. Hybrid options available where applicable.
- Resume: Focus on systems you've built and owned.
- GitHub/Portfolio: Show us work you're proud of — code, machines, or production systems.
- Cover letter: Why this mission? Why now? What would you build first?