Founding Robotics Engineer – Process and Motion Controls

Bumatic is transforming construction through an integrated platform of mobile robotics and AI. Our goal is to address the global housing crisis by building faster, cheaper, higher-quality, more sustainable homes and structures.

We are a very early-stage startup. Joining us now means building Bumatic with us from the ground up, shaping its technology and its culture. The work is bleeding-edge, ambitious and demanding. It might call for longer days or the odd weekend push as it is typical in very early-stage startups until the team grows, though we are dedicated to keep that the exception.

As a founding engineer, you'll grow with the company with hands-on training and a career path that expands as we do. Early joiners also receive a larger ESOP allocation, so you share directly in what we build together.

Role description

This is a full-time role starting from January 2027 that owns how the robots move inside and outside: modelling kinematics and dynamics, designing multi-stage control systems, and keeping processes stable and repeatable.

Candidates will have to be comfortable in taking ownership of

· The robot's kinematic and dynamic models, including URDF descriptions and physics-based simulation

· Multi-stage control architectures, from low-level motor loops to trajectory planning and coordinated motion

· Process control for 3D concrete printing: synchronising motion with material flow and deposition

Ideal background

A successful profile would ideally have:

· A Master's in Mechatronics, Control Engineering, or a related field

· Professional experience delivering motion control for robots or automation systems

· Hands-on experience with ROS 2, URDF and physics simulators such as Gazebo, MuJoCo or Isaac Sim

· Experience with additive manufacturing or fluid-material processes is a plus

Professional profile

We are drawn to profiles with proven track record of

· Modelling and tuning control systems on real hardware, beyond simulation

· Designing cascaded or multi-stage controllers for multi-axis systems

· Characterising and controlling physical processes, with clear test reporting

· Working closely with electronics, software and materials teams to bring motion and process features to production

Our workplace ethos

As a small hardware team, we build, test and learn side by side. Our roles are based at our offices in the Porto area, with no fully remote opportunity. We trust each one of us to own their work, and we value our impact in the lab and on the robots.

Our commitment is to offer fair and equal conditions to everyone who joins us, applying the same principles across all roles.

· We share regular time on-site to keep collaboration and communication fluent, with hours flexible enough to dodge traffic and keep life running smoothly

· We follow an outcome-first culture, measured through tangible results and impact

· Our working language is English, written and spoken proficiency is required

· This job specifically requires 80-100% work on-site, with laboratory work depending on the stage of development

· We cannot sponsor visas at this stage, you will need to own full rights to work in Portugal

At Bumatic, we are bonded by our shared passion to use robotics and technology for the benefit of humanity, starting with the EU and expanding everywhere it is needed across the world. We need people who are not only passionate about technology, startups, or the built environment, but also believe in solving valuable problems and have a positive impact to help make the world a better place.

We're building a successful, impact-driven business for the long haul, and we intend to have fun doing it. If that sounds like you, let's talk.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Work Location: In person