Robotics & AI Engineer – Robotic Fabrication (Surface Coating Systems

About LAYERED

LAYERED is a Swiss construction robotics startup emerging from ETH Zurich’s Gramazio Kohler Research, a pioneer in digital fabrication and robotic construction.

We build autonomous mobile robots that perform surface finishing tasks directly on real construction sites. Our systems combine robotics, digital fabrication, and AI-driven planning to handle the variability and constraints of the built environment, making site work safer, more efficient, and more sustainable while keeping skilled craftspeople at the center of the process.

Our robots are already running in mock-ups and live construction sites. We are now strengthening our AI and robotics team to make the system more autonomous, more adaptive to material behavior, and ready for reliable deployment in real construction environments.

The Role

We are looking for a Senior Robotics & AI Engineer who will take ownership of the intelligence layer behind our robotic surface coating systems.

This is a deeply interdisciplinary role at the intersection of robotics, AI, control, and material process modeling. You will design and deploy intelligent systems that allow robots to understand, predict, and control the behavior of plaster and coating materials in real construction conditions.

You are not only developing algorithms — you are building the decision-making and control backbone that turns a robotic platform into an autonomous construction system capable of operating on real sites with real materials.

What You Will Work On

Your main focus:

• Developing physics-informed AI models that capture plaster and coating material behavior
• Designing and implementing robot control and motion planning pipelines adapted to material deposition processes
• Building data pipelines and telemetry systems to collect, clean, and structure multi-modal robotic data
• Training and deploying deep learning models for perception, process prediction, and adaptive control
• Creating simulation-to-reality workflows to validate models before on-site deployment
• Ensuring models and algorithms are optimized for real-time or near-real-time inference on robotic hardware

You will also:

• Develop and maintain ROS/ROS2-based software components for robotic intelligence and control
• Work hands-on with industrial robotic arms and plastering equipment to validate algorithms in the lab and on site
• Design closed-loop control strategies integrating sensing, prediction, and robotic motion
• Conduct design of experiments (DoE) to characterize material behavior and improve process reliability
• Collaborate with mechanical, hardware, and field teams to ensure tight AI–robot–process integration
• Support on-site deployments and analyze system performance after field operations

RequirementsMust Have

• Advanced degree (MSc or PhD) in Robotics, AI, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field
• Strong experience with ROS/ROS2 and robotic software architectures
• Proven experience applying machine learning or AI to physical or robotic systems
• Solid understanding of robot kinematics, motion planning, and control
• Experience working with multi-modal sensor data and time-series robotic telemetry
• Strong programming skills in C++ and Python
• Comfortable working in a hands-on startup environment where software meets real hardware
• Willing to work on-site with robots in industrial and construction-like environments

Nice to Have

• Experience with physics-informed machine learning or simulation-based modeling
• Familiarity with material deposition, spraying, or process automation
• Experience deploying AI models on edge or embedded robotic hardware
• Hands-on experience with industrial robots (e.g., Universal Robots)
• Knowledge of construction processes or building standards

Who You Are

• You are a systems thinker who enjoys connecting AI, robotics, and physical processes
• You are comfortable moving between code, models, and real machines
• You enjoy turning research ideas into robust, deployable systems
• You are pragmatic, curious, and motivated by solving messy real-world problems
• You want to see intelligent robots you helped develop working on real construction sites

What You Get

• Work on one of the most challenging real-world applications for AI and robotics
• Be part of the transition from advanced prototypes to a fleet of deployed construction robots
• A core role in a growing deep-tech company emerging from ETH Zurich
• Direct responsibility for shaping the intelligence layer of the robotic system
• Fast iteration cycles and direct impact on product performance
• A small, driven team where your work directly shapes the machine

Apply

Write us an email to jobs@layered.ch, add your CV and, if possible, examples of AI, robotics, or control systems you have developed. Include [AI ROBOTICS] in the email subject.

LAYERED is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace and does not discriminate based on race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, gender identity, gender expression, disability, or any other protected legal status.

Job Type: 100%

Pay: CHF85’838.18 - CHF110’498.93 per year

Work Location: In person