YK-Robotics makes advanced robotics reachable for everyone. Through the YK-Platform, machine manufacturers, system integrators and manufacturers put the best robotic hardware on the market to work through natural language, without needing a robotics specialist in the room.
We are opening a research line inside the company and are looking for a recently graduated PhD to lead it. You will set the research agenda together with our CTO and see your work running on real robotic cells, in real plants: food and beverage, intralogistics, furniture, chemicals and pharma.
Research lines
We will define them together, based on your profile. They could include:
- Multimodal models for advanced perception
- Generative AI to configure and program robotic cells in natural language
- Trajectory planning in dynamic environments, with people and moving stock around
- Predictive maintenance and analytics for cells in production
What we are looking for
- A PhD in robotics, computer vision, machine learning, control or applied mathematics, completed or defended before the start date
- Hands-on implementation skills: Python, PyTorch, ROS/ROS2
- A publication record showing you can take a research question from start to finish
- Interest in seeing research reach the factory floor
- English as the working language. Spanish or Catalan are welcome, not required
What we offer
- Gross annual salary: €40,000 – €45,000, depending on experience
- Permanent, full-time contract with YK-Robotics S.L.
- A funded, three-year research project
- Work centre in Barcelona (Zona Franca). The first three months are on site, so you get to know the cells and the team. After that we are versátil on where you work, and agree it with each person
- A small, international team across Spain and Italy, reporting to the CTO
About the funding and the timing
This position is being submitted to the 2026 call of the Torres Quevedo programme (PTQ) of the Agencia Estatal de Investigación, which funds companies hiring doctorate holders for industrial research projects. The call closes on 29 October 2026 and the candidate is named in the application. The contract starts once the call is resolved, expected in the first half of 2027. If you are finishing your PhD in the coming months, the timing fits well.
How to apply
Apply here, or send your CV to
[email protected] with a short note on which research line interests you and why. Our process is three conversations: a first call with HR, a technical interview with our CTO, and a final meeting with our CEO in Barcelona. We answer everyone.
📌 Research Engineer — AI for Industrial Robotics (Barcelona)
🏢 Yk Robotics
📍 Barcelona