Controls Engineer
Location: San Francisco (On-site)
Our client is at the forefront of developing general-purpose robotics aimed at solving critical labor shortages. Their mission is to build advanced robots capable of operating in complex and dynamic environments-reducing human risk in hazardous conditions and improving efficiency in labour-intensive sectors.
They are actively seeking exceptional engineers and scientists to join their growing team. A background in robotics is not mandatory-what matters most is your technical excellence, creativity, and drive to solve real-world problems.
The team values diversity of thought and experience and welcomes candidates from various industries and disciplines who have demonstrated outstanding technical capability and a history of building impactful solutions.
Who Thrives Here
- You enjoy working on-site in San Francisco alongside a high-performing team.
- You believe the mission is urgent and essential for humanity's future.
- You have a strong technical foundation, regardless of your specific role.
- You are passionate about great design and strive for product excellence.
- You are self-motivated and take ownership of outcomes.
Why This Role Exists
- To develop and refine control systems for precise, safe, and efficient robot motion.
- To design control architectures that bridge AI-generated plans with real-world robotic execution.
- To build full-body controllers that combine AI input and real-time feedback for optimal performance.
- To ensure robots can reliably perform complex tasks such as manipulation and locomotion.
- To scale control systems for deployment across varied robot platforms and use cases.
Ideal Candidate Profile
- Deep expertise in robotic control systems, including motion planning, kinematics, and dynamics.
- Proven ability to develop full-body controllers across multiple degrees of freedom.
- Experience with both torque-based and position-based control approaches.
- Skilled in converting AI outputs into actionable motor commands (e.g., torque, force, angle).
- Familiar with trajectory optimization and real-time feedback control techniques.
- Strong programming skills in C and Python.
- Experience with middleware such as ROS2 and real-time robotic control systems.
- Solid grasp of numerical algorithms and control theory.
- Effective in diagnosing and resolving real-world control issues on physical robots.
- Comfortable with hardware-in-the-loop setups and hands-on testing.
- Collaborative with multidisciplinary teams (AI, mechanical, electrical engineering).
- 5+ years of experience in controls engineering or motion planning for robotics.
- Degree in Robotics, Mechanical/Electrical Engineering, or related field; PhD preferred.
- Experience with real-time operating systems and control frameworks is a strong plus.
Compensation and Benefits
- Market-standard benefits, including health, dental, vision, and 401(k).
- Candidates are encouraged to join for the mission and collaborative culture, not just the benefits.