Robotics Research Engineer (E3) - Computer Vision

 What does the team do

As part of our Advanced Technology division, our talented robotics research engineers are  working on sensor-guided robotic systems to further improve the efficiency of our operation. Our primary goal is to find the best way to deploy robots in the production of grocery orders. In order to do this, we pursue cutting-edge research into state of the art algorithms, sensing technologies, and manipulation techniques. Our ideal candidate will be a specialist in the field of robotic learning, with good programming skills and the ability to translate their own scientific ideas into reusable code.

To give you an idea of the types of projects you might work on, here’s some examples of previous successes. As part of our effort to be in the vanguard of robotics research, the team has been involved in two European Union funded Horizon 2020 research projects with a number of leading European Universities:-

What would I be doing?

• Proposing and exploring solutions that improve scene understanding for robotic picking.
• Collaborating with other stakeholders to ensure that proposed solutions are appropriate.
• Implementing novel computer vision algorithms that increase the performance of the robotic picking system.
• Contributing to the development and maintenance of tools that assist with computer vision research.
• Thoroughly evaluating and documenting the performance of proposed solutions.
• Documenting and presenting experimental results and software implementations.
• Assisting with the appropriate choice of hardware for robotic picking.
• Working with colleagues to implement and productionise prototyped algorithms.
• Keeping up to date with the latest developments in computer vision research, disseminating that knowledge within the team and using that knowledge to identify better solutions.

We'd like to hear from you if you have...

• PhD/MSc or similar industrial experience in computer vision
• Substantial experience in implementing and evaluating machine learning solutions for computer vision
• Familiarity with the current state of the art in computer vision research
• Good software engineering skills and the ability to write clean, reusable code
• Demonstrable experience developing software in C++ and python
• Familiarity with common software development practices (unit testing, source control)
• Experience working with point clouds

Bonus points if you have…

• Practical experience of learning by demonstration/imitation learning/reinforcement learning.
• Experience developing code using ROS
• Experience developing on Ubuntu Linux
• Familiarity with CI/CD tools e.g. Docker, Gitlab and similar
• Practical experience using cloud tools e.g. GCP
• Experience of productionising and maintaining computer vision algorithms
• Robotics experience

“We are on a mission to transform the future of grocery retail through sustained technology innovation.”

Ocado Technology is putting the world’s retailers online using advanced artificial intelligence, robotics, big data, the cloud and IoT. We develop the innovative software and hardware systems that power Ocado.com, as well as the unique ‘Ocado Smart Platform’ which is being implemented by ambitious retailers across the world from Europe to America, Asia and beyond. With everything from websites to highly automated warehouses that we design in-house, our employees are skilled specialists with expertise across a wide range of technologies, working on cutting-edge innovations that are shaping the future of our society.

We are a fast- growing company: today we have colleagues in 7 development centre across the UK and Europe, with offices open in London, Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City (UK), Krakow, Wroclaw (Poland), Sofia (Bulgaria) and Barcelona (Spain), with a satellite office in Stockholm (Sweden).

We champion a value-led culture to get our teams working at their very best and to help create a collaborative working environment with inspiring projects that our people love. Core values of Trust, Autonomy, Craftsmanship, Collaboration and Learn Fast help drive our innovative culture.  But don’t just take our word for it, have a look at what our people are saying about us on Glassdoor.

Our employee benefits are designed for you, we care about people and we’ve ensured we have a wealth of benefits that focus on your well-being. We can offer technically stretching work, a competitive salary and;

• Flexible working patterns and options for remote working (depending on your role/team)
• Wellbeing support through Apps such as Unmind and an Employee Assistance Programme
• 25 days annual leave, rising to 27 days after 5 years service (plus optional holiday purchase)
• Pension scheme (various options available including employer contribution matching up to 7%)
• Private Medical Insurance
• 22 weeks paid maternity leave and 6 weeks paid paternity leave (once relevant service requirements complete) 
• Train Ticket loan (interest-free)
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Free shuttle bus to and from Welwyn Garden City Train Station to the Welwyn Garden City offices 
• Opportunity to participate in Sharesave and Buy as You Earn share schemes
• 15% discount on Ocado.com and free delivery for all employees
• Income Protection (can be up to 50% of salary for 3 years) and Life Assurance (3 x annual salary)

We also have regular divisional socials, sports clubs not to mention the Ocado Technology Academy for a packed schedule of courses, conferences and events. If you think you have what it takes to make a difference, please submit your application below.

We are thrilled to welcome applicants from across the world. Whilst we are able to offer visa sponsorship, please note that we are only able to cover the company-specific costs. For all employment offers made for UK roles, it is expected that you will be based in the UK in commutable distance, ready for your first day of work, so please keep this in mind. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Due to the energising nature of Ocado's business, vacancy close dates, when stated, are indicative and may be subject to change so please apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. If you have applied and been rejected for this role in the last 6 months, or applied and been rejected for a role with a similar skill set, we will not re-evaluate you for this position. After 6 months, we will treat your application as a new one. All benefits information is subject to change and the terms of the individual arrangements.

Be bold, be unique, be brilliant, be you. We are looking for individuality and we value diversity above gender, sexual orientation, race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, age, disability or union participation. We are an equal opportunities employer and we are committed to treating all applicants and employees fairly and equally.