About Vector Machines

Vector Machines develops autonomous mowing robot systems for solar parks. With our innovative technology—lidar, GPS, and vision (sensor fusion)—we help solar parks maintain their facilities efficiently and sustainably.

The Challenge

Our robots operate reliably and autonomously in solar parks throughout Europe. Currently, we physically validate routes on-site for each new installation. This is a process that works well and gives customers confidence in the quality of our solution.

To scale even more efficiently, we want to take the next step: enabling users to independently validate and adjust routes, with the robot as an intelligent validation instrument. Think of: the robot drives to corner points, the user confirms via an intuitive interface whether this is correct, and the system automatically adjusts where necessary. This accelerates our deployment, increases flexibility for customers, and makes us more scalable without compromising quality.

Additionally, we're building fleet management functionality for software updates and version control, so we can efficiently maintain and improve a growing number of robots in the field.

Your Role

You'll become a crucial link in the further development of our intelligent robot control system. You'll build the software that bridges advanced autonomous robots and the operators who deploy them daily. This means you'll work on:

• Intuitive user interfaces that enable operators without technical backgrounds to manage complex robot operations
• Real-time monitoring systems that provide insight into the performance and status of our fleet
• Intelligent validation tools that work together with the robots to automatically verify route quality
• Scalable update infrastructure for reliable software deployment across multiple robots
• Diagnostic systems that enable operators to solve problems independently

You'll work in a multidisciplinary team of robotics engineers, embedded developers, and backend specialists. Together, you'll ensure seamless integration between user interfaces, cloud infrastructure, and the autonomous systems operating in the field.

What You'll Build

You'll have the freedom to make an impact across various technical areas:

• Frontend Applications: Modern, user-friendly interfaces for route and fleet management
• Intelligent Validation Logic: Systems that automatically analyze routes and collaborate with robots to guarantee accuracy
• Fleet Management Platform: Real-time dashboards and monitoring tools for operational overview
• Software Lifecycle Management:
  • Version control and deployment pipelines for robot software
  • Over-The-Air update mechanisms with rollback capabilities
  • Batch operations for efficient fleet management
• Backend Architecture: Robust APIs, cloud integrations, and data processing pipelines
• Operator Experience: Tools and workflows that make complex technology accessible

The Challenge?

You'll build software that must continue working in dynamic conditions: remote locations, variable connectivity, and users who primarily expect "it should just work." Reliability and scalability are essential.

You'll also get the opportunity to contribute end-to-end: from idea and design to implementation and field use, with direct feedback from practice.

What You Bring

Must-haves

• Frontend expertise
• UX/UI design thinking: You understand how to make complex systems accessible to non-technical users
• Backend development: Experience with C#/.NET or willing to learn
• Practical focus: You make pragmatic choices aimed at rapid deployment
• DevOps mindset: You understand deployment pipelines, version control, and update strategies

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with geospatial data and mapping libraries (Leaflet, Mapbox, Google Maps)
• Knowledge of Azure (IoT Hub, Service Bus, Cosmos DB)
• Background in robotics, fleet management, or logistics systems
• Experience with OTA update systems, firmware deployment, or embedded software updates
• Experience with Blazor

Why This Complements Our Team

Our current team has strong expertise in:

• Robotics (ROS)
• Embedded systems
• GPS calibration and coordinate transformations
• Multi-language development (Python, C#, various platforms)

You'll complement us with:

• Frontend/UX focus: We build the technical systems, you make them accessible
• User-centered design: Where we think from technology, you think from the operator
• Visualization expertise: Route planning requires strong mapping and interactive UI skills
• Update & deployment expertise: You build the bridge between our development and field deployment
• Rapid prototyping: You can quickly iterate based on user feedback

What We Offer

• Technically challenging problems at the intersection of robotics, IoT, and user-friendliness
• Crucial role in a scale-up phase where your work directly impacts customer decisions
• Small team where you get lots of autonomy and responsibility
• Flexibility in technology choices (we continuously evaluate the best tools)
• Possibility for remote work (with occasional visits to solar parks for demonstrations)
• End-to-end ownership: from user interface to robot deployment
• Laptop
• Public transport card (if desired)
• Market-competitive salary

Practical Details

• Location: Heerenveen (hybrid)
• Type: Full-time
• Languages: Dutch and English
• Start date: As soon as possible

How to Apply

Send your CV and a brief motivation explaining:

1. How you would design a robot-assisted validation workflow that is intuitive for operators
2. How you would design an update system for a fleet of robots in remote solar parks