Principal Robotic Controls Engineer

Wwshemi; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 250,000 - 315,000; Full time

Job summary

Wwshemi in San Francisco is seeking a senior controls expert to lead architecture for precision pointing and tracking in a defense tech context. You will bridge theory, simulation, and real-world hardware testing, shaping gimbal controls, filters, and latency-aware estimation.

Expect collaboration across engineers, hands-on leadership, and embedded implementation on high-rate control loops. Requires a PhD-level background in control/estimation, extensive experience with Kalman variants,

Qualifications

• PhD in control theory and estimation.
• 10+ years of experience in precision pointing, tracking, or stabilization hardware.
• Strong background in robust control methods (H-infinity, mu-synthesis, LQG).

Responsibilities

• Design control architectures for coarse gimbals and fine steering mirrors with multi-rate operation and handoffs.
• Develop Kalman variants and nonlinear observers for sensor fusion of radar, EO/IR, and inertial data.
• Implement line-of-sight stabilization, jitter rejection, and latency-aware filtering techniques.
• Allocate and validate pointing error budgets across jitter, latency, and atmospheric effects.
• Model system dynamics, run simulations, and perform hardware-in-the-loop validation.
• Analyze stability under disturbances and integrate controls with tracking sequences and safety logic.
• Deploy algorithms to embedded targets and lead kilohertz-rate control loops in field tests.
• Provide technical reviews and mentor engineers in controls and sensor integration.

Skills

Robust control

Kalman estimation

C/C++ embedded

MATLAB/Simulink

Python

Sensor fusion

H-infinity

mu-synthesis

IMM

Nonlinear observers

Education

PhD in control theory and estimation

Tools

MATLAB/Simulink

Python

Embedded RTOS

Job description

This listing's locations On-site - San Francisco, California, United States

Employment Full-time

Workplace On site

Compensation $250000–315000 per year

Join a defense technology team developing autonomous directed-energy systems. As the senior technical anchor for controls, you will shape precision pointing and tracking architecture, from theory and simulation through real-world hardware testing.

What You'll Do

• Design control architecture for coarse gimbals and fine steering mirrors, including bandwidth allocation, multi-rate operation, and stage handoffs.
• Develop Kalman, interacting multiple model, and nonlinear filters that fuse radar, EO/IR, and inertial data into latency-compensated aimpoint estimates.
• Build line-of-sight stabilization and jitter-rejection methods, including inertial stabilization, feedforward, and adaptive or notch filtering for structural modes.
• Allocate pointing error budgets across jitter, bias, latency, and atmospheric effects, then validate precision performance against dynamic targets in field tests.
• Model plants and identify system dynamics for gimbals, mirrors, and structures, using simulation and hardware-in-the-loop validation.
• Analyze stability and robustness under disturbances and parameter variation, and integrate controls with tracking, engagement sequencing, and safety logic.
• Deploy control algorithms to embedded targets, collaborate on kilohertz-rate loops, and compare field test results with simulation predictions.
• Provide technical review across controls and sensor integration, and mentor engineers through hands-on technical leadership.

What We're Looking For

• At least 10 years of experience closing loops on precision pointing, tracking, or stabilization hardware, with PhD-level depth in control theory and estimation.
• Proficiency in robust control, including H-infinity, mu-synthesis, and LQG, plus optimal estimation such as Kalman variants, IMM, and nonlinear observers.
• Experience shipping C or C++ control loops on embedded or RTOS targets, and working with MATLAB/Simulink and Python.
• Background in sensor fusion, multi-rate and sampled-data design, real-time hardware-in-the-loop validation, system identification, and structural dynamics.
• Ability to serve as the controls technical anchor on a small team. Directed-energy or high-energy laser experience and an active security clearance, or ability to obtain one, are advantages.

Base salary range: $250,000 to $315,000 annually. Equity and visa sponsorship details were not provided.

Location

On-site in San Francisco, United States.