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Head of Research China Robotics

Vacature ID
503199
Geplaatst sinds
17-apr-2026
Organisatie
Foundational Technologies
Vakgebied
Research & Development
Bedrijf
Siemens Ltd., China
Ervaringsniveau
Experienced Professional
Type functie
Fulltime
Werkvorm
Alleen op kantoor/werkplaats
Type contract
Vaste termijn
Locatie(s)
  • Shanghai - Stad Shanghai - China
We are seeking a visionary and execution-oriented Head of Research to lead long-term research and advanced development efforts for next-generation polyfunctional robots in industrial environments.
Based in China, this role will lead a team of robotics experts while coordinating broad, cross-functional research programs spanning multiple disciplines, including robotics, AI, software, mechatronics, sensing, controls, industrial systems, and manufacturing technologies. The role requires a leader who can integrate diverse technical domains into a coherent research agenda and drive effective collaboration across geographically distributed teams and partners.
In addition to leading internal research efforts, this individual will play a critical role in engaging China’s robotics ecosystem — including companies, startups, suppliers, universities, and research institutes — to identify collaboration opportunities and accelerate innovation. A key expectation is the ability to leverage China speed by rapidly converting ecosystem insights, technical opportunities, and partnerships into focused research initiatives, prototypes, and scalable technology directions.
This position is ideal for a senior research or technology leader with strong experience in interdisciplinary oversight, program leadership, and global R&D collaboration, who can guide complex innovation programs without needing to be a narrow technical specialist in robotics.

Key Responsibilities
Research Strategy and Program Leadership
• Define and lead the long-term research vision, strategy, and roadmap for polyfunctional robotics in industrial applications.
• Shape and manage a portfolio of interdisciplinary research programs spanning robotics, AI, perception, controls, software, mechatronics, industrial automation, and related domains.
• Translate strategic priorities into coordinated research initiatives with clear objectives, milestones, governance, and measurable outcomes.
• Balance long-term exploratory research with near- to mid-term technology maturation and pathways toward industrial application.
• Ensure research activities are aligned with broader business, innovation, and technology strategies.
• Define system architecture including DOF allocation, actuation strategy, control architecture and compute stack; make critical tradeoffs between cost vs performance, torque vs backdrivability, and autonomy vs teleoperation.
• Resolve technical impasses between teams, reject overengineering, and enforce consistent architectural discipline.
Interdisciplinary and Global Collaboration
• Coordinate large-scale collaboration across multidisciplinary teams located in China and globally.
• Lead and align contributions from experts across different technical domains, ensuring strong integration of perspectives, dependencies, and deliverables.
• Act as the central orchestration point for complex research programs involving internal teams, external partners, and academic institutions.
• Build effective working models across functions, geographies, and organizational boundaries to accelerate innovation and improve execution.
• Foster knowledge sharing, transparency, and strong communication across diverse stakeholders and technical communities.
• Align mechanical, controls, embedded and AI disciplines; ensure clean interfaces, met timing constraints and converged subsystems.
Ecosystem Engagement and External Innovation in China
• Build and maintain strong relationships across China’s robotics and innovation ecosystem, including robotics companies, startups, universities, research institutes, and key technology partners.
• Identify opportunities for strategic collaboration, co-development, joint research, and technology scouting.
• Engage leading universities and academic groups to access emerging ideas, top talent, and collaborative research opportunities.
• Monitor ecosystem and market developments in China to identify relevant technologies, trends, and partnership opportunities.
• Represent the organization in external engagements and strengthen its visibility within China’s advanced robotics and research landscape.
• Manage strategic relationships with key partners including NVIDIA, maxon, Aubo, DLR and other potential collaborators; define clear build vs buy strategy for core components and technologies.
Leveraging China Speed
• Leverage the pace, agility, and ecosystem density of China to accelerate research cycles, external collaboration, prototype development, and validation.
• Establish mechanisms to rapidly assess, test, and scale promising ideas, technologies, and partnerships.
• Promote a culture of fast learning, pragmatic experimentation, and disciplined execution.
• Help convert ecosystem opportunities into research momentum and strategic advantage for the global organization.
Team Leadership and People Development
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of robotics researchers and technical experts.
• Create a research culture that values innovation, collaboration, accountability, and scientific excellence.
• Set clear priorities and expectations while enabling technical depth within the team.
• Support recruitment, capability building, and succession planning for key roles.
• Encourage strong collaboration between local teams in China and global R&D organizations.
Research Governance and Execution
• Oversee planning, resource allocation, budget management, timelines, and milestone tracking across research programs.
• Ensure research programs are structured, well governed, and executed with high quality and clear accountability.
• Provide regular updates to senior leadership on progress, risks, findings, and strategic implications.
• Support generation of intellectual property, strategic insights, publications, and long-term innovation assets where appropriate.
• Define phased development roadmap from lower body to full body integration and task demonstration; set realistic milestones and proactively eliminate scope creep.
• Continuously identify and mitigate key risks including actuator performance, thermal issues, control instability and integration bottlenecks with early intervention.

Qualifications
Education
• Master’s degree or PhD in Engineering, Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering Control, or a related technical field，Ph.D. degree preferred.
Experience
• 10+ years of Significant experience in leading complex research, innovation, or advanced technology programs in industrial, robotics, automation, intelligent systems, or related domains.
• Proven track record of interdisciplinary leadership, with the ability to oversee and integrate work across multiple technical domains rather than operating only as a domain specialist.
• Strong experience in program management for large-scale, multi-workstream R&D or innovation initiatives.
• Demonstrated success coordinating globally distributed, multidisciplinary teams across regions, functions, and organizational boundaries.
• Experience leading collaborations involving internal R&D teams, external partners, startups, suppliers, universities, and research institutes.
• Experience working within or closely with the China innovation ecosystem is strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to translate broad innovation opportunities into structured programs, partnerships, prototypes, and strategic technology outcomes.
Technical and Leadership Profile
• Broad technical understanding across robotics and adjacent disciplines such as AI, controls, software, mechatronics, sensing, and industrial systems.
• Ability to engage credibly with deep technical experts without needing to be the leading specialist in every domain.
• Strong systems thinking and ability to manage technical interdependencies in complex research environments.
• Excellent leadership, stakeholder management, and communication skills in cross-functional and cross-cultural settings.
• Strong execution discipline combined with strategic and long-term thinking.
• Diagnose robot failures rapidly to identify root causes in control, hardware, or system integration
• Make critical technical decisions within hours (e.g., joint redesign vs. controller tuning) rather than lengthy deliberation
• Drive teams to test early and iteratively, prioritizing real-world validation over theoretical perfection• Maintain system simplicity to ensure reliable real-world operation
• Demonstrate decisive judgment under uncertainty, comfort with imperfect data, bias toward action, and strong systems thinking
Key Competencies
• Interdisciplinary leadership
• Program and portfolio management
• Global collaboration and stakeholder alignment
• Strategic thinking and execution focus
• Ecosystem engagement and partnership building
• Strong systems perspective
• Talent development and team leadership
• Communication and influence across technical and business audiences
• Agility in fast-paced innovation environments
• Ability to leverage China speed effectively
What Success Looks Like
• A strong interdisciplinary research portfolio is established and effectively governed.
• Global teams collaborate efficiently across technical domains, geographies, and partner networks.
• China’s robotics ecosystem is actively leveraged to accelerate innovation, partnership development, and research execution.
• Research initiatives move with greater speed, structure, and strategic relevance.
• The organization builds differentiated capabilities and long-term innovation advantage in polyfunctional industrial robotics.