Robotics and Automation Lead

Role: Robotics & Automation Lead

Salary: Up to £70,000 + package

Location: Hybrid (travel to UK sites)

Fruition are currently recruiting for a unique opportunity to lead a robotics, airbourne platform and simulation team. My client are at the forefront of innovation in their sector and they help fuel the growth innovation which will drive their sector forward. This is an opportunity to work for an organisation that strengthen a key sector of the UK economy (not the defence sector) working on cutting edge technology and collaborating with industry leaders in the robotics and automation space.

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership

• Lead a team of 2-3 robotics and airborne platform specialists, ensuring clear priorities, effective resourcing and a collaborative working culture
• Understand where robotics can deliver value for the sector and how SMEs can best access those opportunities, informing internal planning and capability development.
• Translate sector insight into clear guidance for SMEs on adoption pathways, development barriers and opportunities for collaboration.

Subject Leadership

• Act as a subject matter expert for robotics and autonomy, providing applied insight grounded in working knowledge of tools, platforms and test environments.
• Ensure robotics and automation capabilities are appropriately resourced with objectives aligned to customer demand and real‑world development needs.
• Maintain oversight of key capabilities, including mobile robotics platforms, airborne robotics/UAVs, and the CarMaker‑based simulation environment.

Project Delivery

• Serve as technical lead for selected robotics projects, ensuring technical requirements are well defined, achievable and aligned to project objectives.
• Work closely with project managers to ensure technical outputs are delivered on time and to a high quality.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Build and maintain strong relationships with robotics companies, government bodies, trade associations and academic partners.
• Engage and support SMEs to navigate the innovation ecosystem, helping them understand routes to validation, demonstration, commercial readiness and adoption.

Required Skill and Experience

• Strong background in robotics, autonomy, mechatronics or equivalent fields, with experience relevant to real‑world or commercial deployment.

• Working knowledge of key robotics tools and frameworks, including ROS2, Python and robotics simulation (CarMaker preferred; Gazebo or IsaacSIM beneficial).

• Demonstrated senior technical capability, including leading technical work packages or engineering streams.
• Systems engineering mindset: requirements definition, verification and validation.
• Experience supporting or coordinating multidisciplinary technical teams.

• Background experience with robotics hardware, testing or integration sufficient to understand operational considerations within the team.

• Experience with airborne robotics (UAVs).
• Knowledge of the UK robotics ecosystem.
• Experience working directly with customers or external partners, ideally including SMEs, providing guidance, technical interpretation or development support.

• Full UK driving licence

Fruition are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age.