Lobster Robotics engineers autonomous underwater vehicles for precision seabed mapping. Our technology delivers millimetre-scale data for offshore energy and security of critical underwater infrastructure. In the past year, we expanded to 16 people and shifted from prototype to operational deployment. We combine research depth with field pragmatism & building systems that work in the real world. Backed by strong traction from the Dutch Navy and increasing involvement in NATO trials, we’re entering a phase of rapid scaling. We are looking for passionate team members who can independently shape and deliver the next generation of underwater perception and mapping technology.
At Lobster Robotics, we really care about making a positive impact. Instead of using big, fuel-guzzling vessels, our autonomous tech helps cut down a ton of CO2 every time we map a spot. Plus, the seabed maps we create help scientists and decision-makers protect and restore nature better. Our robots also keep an eye on important underwater infrastructure —like cables for offshore wind farms—making sure everything stays safe from any threats. When you join Lobster, you’re part of all that good stuff.
Who we are looking forYou are an independent thinker with a strong robotics and control foundation and demonstrated experience in building real-world autonomy software through at least 3 years of PhD or industry work. You have practical experience implementing path planning algorithms, ideally for high-dimensional and non-holonomic systems, and you understand environment mapping/modeling approaches such as 3D occupancy grids, SDFs or mesh-based representations with a focus on using them for planning.
You have a strong fundamental base to solve hard problems from first principles and enjoy building robust, from-scratch, real-time software architectures that run iteratively and asynchronously. You are hands‑on, curious, and supportive to others in the team. It would be a plus if you have knowledge in neighbouring fields such as state estimation, control, simulation-based validation, or hardware‑software co‑development. Rust/C++ experience is a plus.
Team valuesFor us, three things are super important: being clear, thinking outside the box, and staying safe. If something doesn’t work out, no worries — just be open about it, figure out a new way to solve it, and always keep safety front and center. If you roll with those values, you’ll fit right in in the team.
What you will be doingAs a Robotics Engineer you will develop and own the high‑level path planning and environment modeling subsystems of our underwater drones. You will implement global path planning, obstacle/structure avoidance, and terrain modeling pipelines that enable safe and reliable autonomous behaviour in complex environments. In doing so, you will work closely with adjacent developers to shape the planning and control stack, define clean interfaces, and build and continuously improve the system to work with our physics simulator as well as in the field.
About the team you will be joiningYou will be joining a small R&D team and we like to describe ourselves as passionate hard workers with an interest in complex technology and exploring the unknown underwater.
What really makes working at Lobster rewarding, is how fast you see the results of your work. Since we’re a small team, it is possible that an improvement is designed the same day and tested out in the water the next week. It’s all about moving fast and making a real impact.
Safety and responsibility is something we take very seriously.
Curiosity kicks things off, stubbornness gets things done. Daan de Groot CTO
What we offerVaried, challenging work with a lot of personal responsibility
Room to explore what you enjoy and grow in that direction
A comfortable workplace in an inspiring environment in the harbour of Scheveningen
A warm and welcoming team and an open culture
A market-conforming salary and 30 vacation days
Apply by sending your resume and motivation letter to hr@lobster-robotics.com!
PSIf you're not sure if you meet all the qualifications — go ahead and apply anyway. We care more about your potential than checking every box.
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