Controls Engineer

Foundation; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 1,000,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in robotics is seeking a Controls Engineer to develop advanced control systems for humanoid robots. This role requires expertise in motion planning, kinematics, and dynamics, with a focus on creating precise and safe motion in complex environments. Candidates should have a strong technical background and a passion for innovation in robotics.

Benefits

Market standard benefits (health, vision, dental, 401k)

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in robotics controls, motion planning, or a similar field.
• Strong understanding of numerical methods and computational algorithms for control.
• Experience with hardware-in-the-loop systems.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize control systems for humanoid robots.
• Design robust motion planning and lower-level control architectures.
• Ensure reliable execution of tasks in complex environments.

Skills

Robotics control systems

Motion planning

Kinematics

Dynamics

Programming in C++

Programming in Python

Torque-based control

Position-based control

Trajectory planning

Real-time feedback integration

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Robotics

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

ROS2

Real-time operating systems

Job description

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Foundation is developing the future of general purpose robotics with the goal to address the labor shortage.

https://foundation.bot

Our mission is to create advanced robots that can operate in complex environments, reducing human risk in conflict zones and enhancing efficiency in labor-intensive industries.

We are on the lookout for extraordinary engineers and scientists to join our team.

We expect that many of our team members will bring diverse perspectives from various industries and fields. We are looking for individuals with a proven record of exceptional ability and a history of creating things that work.

All positions are based in San Francisco.

Our Culture

We like to be frank and honest about who we are, so that people can decide for themselves if this is a culture they resonate with. Please read more about our culture here https://foundation.bot/culture.

Who should join:

• You like working in person with a team in San Francisco.
• You deeply believe that this is the most important mission for humanity and needs to happen yesterday.
• You are highly technical - regardless of the role you are in. We are building technology; you need to understand technology well.
• You care about aesthetics and design inside out. If it's not the best product ever, it bothers you, and you need to “fix” it.
• You don't need someone to motivate you; you get things done.

Why are We Hiring for this Role

• To develop and optimize the control systems that enable precise, smooth, and safe motion in our humanoid robots.
• To bridge the gap between AI-generated action models and the robot’s physical execution by designing robust motion planning and lower-level control architectures.
• To create full-body controllers that seamlessly integrate inputs from action models with real-time feedback, ensuring high performance in complex environments.
• To ensure our robots can execute tasks reliably, from manipulation to locomotion, while maintaining stability and efficiency.
• To scale our controls stack for deployment across various robot configurations, supporting a wide range of customer applications.

What Kind of Person are We looking for

• Strong background in robotics control systems, including motion planning, kinematics, and dynamics.
• Proficiency in developing full-body controllers that integrate multiple degrees of freedom (DoF).
• Experience with torque-based and position-based control strategies.
• Skilled in translating high-level action outputs (e.g., from AI models) into low-level commands such as angle, torque, and force.
• Familiarity with optimization techniques for trajectory planning and real-time feedback integration.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as C++ and Python.
• Experience with robotics middleware (e.g., ROS2) and real-time control systems.
• Strong understanding of numerical methods and computational algorithms for control.
• Ability to analyze complex motion requirements and design control algorithms to meet them.
• Comfortable troubleshooting control issues in a physical robot and iterating quickly to improve performance.
• Comfortable working with hardware-in-the-loop systems and integrating controls with physical robots.
• Collaborates effectively with AI researchers, mechanical engineers, and electrical engineers to ensure seamless system integration.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in robotics controls, motion planning, or a similar field.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field. A PhD is a plus.
• Experience with real-time operating systems and control frameworks is highly desirable.

We provide market standard benefits (health, vision, dental, 401k, etc.). Join us for the culture and the mission, not for the benefits.

The annual compensation is expected to be between $100,000 - $1,000,000. Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and location.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Engineering, Information Technology, and Manufacturing

• Industries

  Robotics Engineering and Robot Manufacturing

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