Robotics Engineer - Whole-Body Control

UMA; Paris; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

UMA, a Paris-based robotics startup, is seeking a robotics engineer to own the whole-body controller and state estimation on our humanoid.

You will design and tune controllers, build real-time state estimation, and advance real-time optimization for locomotion and loco-manipulation, leveraging C++ and real-time systems.

Qualifications

• Expertise in whole-body control on real hardware (QP inverse dynamics, MPC, task-space or hierarchical control).
• Strong state estimation background (floating-base, contact detection, sensor fusion).
• Proficiency in C++ and real-time systems (PREEMPT_RT, RTOS).
• Rigid-body dynamics and numerical optimization (Pinocchio, Crocoddyl, or equivalent).
• Experience bringing up a legged or humanoid robot.
• Bonus: fluency in MuJoCo or Isaac Sim, loco-manipulation and force/impedance control.

Responsibilities

• Design and tune the whole-body controller for locomotion and loco-manipulation
• Build state estimation on the real robot: floating-base estimation, contact detection, sensor fusion
• Formulate and solve real-time optimal control problems (QP inverse dynamics, MPC)
• Characterize actuator behavior and design controllers within real hardware limits
• Combine model-based control with learned policies at the model/learning seam

Skills

whole-body control

state estimation

C++

real-time systems

rigid-body dynamics

numerical optimization

legged/humanoid robot experience

MuJoCo

Isaac Sim

Tools

Pinocchio

Crocoddyl

Job description

Your Mission

UMA builds general-purpose humanoid robots. Founded in Paris in 2025 by alumni of Tesla Optimus, Google DeepMind, and LeRobot, we're building the humanoid and its control stack from the ground up.

We're hiring a robotics engineer to own the whole-body controller and state estimation on our humanoid.

Responsibilities

• Design and tune the whole-body controller for locomotion and loco-manipulation
• Build state estimation on the real robot: floating-base estimation, contact detection, sensor fusion
• Formulate and solve real-time optimal control problems (QP inverse dynamics, MPC)
• Characterize actuator behavior and design controllers within real hardware limits
• Combine model-based control with learned policies at the model/learning seam
  

Requirements

• Expertise in whole-body control on real hardware (QP inverse dynamics, MPC, task-space or hierarchical control)
• Strong state estimation background (floating-base, contact detection, sensor fusion)
• Proficiency in C++ and real-time systems (PREEMPT_RT, RTOS)
• Rigid-body dynamics and numerical optimization (Pinocchio, Crocoddyl, or equivalent)
• Experience bringing up a legged or humanoid robot
• Bonus: fluency in MuJoCo or Isaac Sim, loco-manipulation and force/impedance control
  

UMA is an inclusive workplace that values exceptional builders over perfect pedigrees. Whatever your background, identity, or journey, if you don't meet every criterion but believe you can have an outsized impact here, we strongly encourage you to apply.