Robot Controls Engineer

Maxwell Bond; New York (NY); On-site; USD 270,000 - 330,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Equity in startup

Ownership of control stack

Autonomy in technical decisions

Job summary

Maxwell Bond is seeking a hands-on Robotics Controls Engineer in New York to advance next-gen robotic systems. You will develop and tune control algorithms, implement real-time software, and shape motion and control architectures for real-world deployment.

We value ownership over the control stack and autonomy in technical decisions, with collaboration across software, controls, mechanical, and robotics disciplines. Equity and meaningful impact await the right candidate.

Qualifications

• BS, MS, or PhD in Robotics, Mechanical, Electrical, CS, Aerospace or related field.
• 4+ years of hands-on robotics, controls, or motion-development experience.
• Experience developing control or motion systems for physical robotic platforms or complex electromechanical systems.
• Strong understanding of control theory (PID, LQR, state-space).
• Experience with robot motion planning, trajectory generation, or optimization.
• Strong C++ and Python programming skills.
• Experience with ROS/ROS 2 or comparable robotics software frameworks.
• Demonstrated ability to port algorithms from simulation to real hardware.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and tune robot control algorithms across multiple levels of the control stack.
• Help develop software and control architectures transitioning from prototypes to reliable products.
• Work with position, velocity, torque, and compliant control approaches.
• Develop and maintain real-time software interfacing with actuators, sensors, and hardware.
• Develop motion planning and trajectory-generation algorithms for complex robotic systems.
• Apply robotics fundamentals including kinematics, dynamics, Jacobians, system identification, and calibration.
• Test, debug, and improve algorithms directly on physical robotic platforms.

Skills

Control theory

PID control

LQR

State-space methods

Motion planning

Trajectory generation

C++

Python

ROS/ROS 2

Real-time software

Kinematics

Dynamics

Jacobians

System identification

Calibration

Education

Bachelor's/Master's/PhD in Robotics or related

Tools

ROS/ROS 2

C++

Python

Real-time OS

Linux

Job description

• Competitive compensation package up to $300K, alongside a meaningful equity package.
• Equity in a well-funded humanoid robotics startup with significant financial backing and ambitious plans for commercial deployment.
• Ownership of the robotics control stack, giving you the opportunity to directly influence how the system is architected, developed, and deployed.
• A genuine voice in technical decisions where you won't simply be implementing someone else's designs; you'll have the autonomy to shape the direction of the controls and robotics architecture.

About the Opportunity

A rapidly growing robotics company is expanding its engineering team and is looking for a hands-on Robotics Controls Engineer to help develop the next generation of advanced robotic systems. You will be responsible for developing and improving the systems that enable complex robotic platforms to move accurately, safely, and reliably in real-world environments.

What You'll Do

• Develop, implement, and tune robot control algorithms across multiple levels of the control stack.
• Help develop software and control architectures that can transition from early prototypes into reliable robotic products.
• Work with position, velocity, torque, and compliant control approaches.
• Develop and maintain real-time software that interfaces with actuators, sensors, and other hardware.
• Develop motion planning and trajectory-generation algorithms for complex robotic systems.
• Apply robotics fundamentals including kinematics, dynamics, Jacobians, system identification, and calibration.
• Test, debug, and improve algorithms directly on physical robotic platforms.

What We’re Looking For

• BS, MS, or PhD in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
• 4+ years of relevant hands-on robotics, controls, or motion-development experience.
• Experience developing control or motion systems for physical robotic platforms or complex electromechanical systems.
• Strong understanding of control theory, including PID, LQR, state-space methods, and related techniques.
• Experience with robot motion planning, trajectory generation, or optimization.
• Strong C++ and Python programming skills.
• Experience with ROS / ROS 2 or comparable robotics software frameworks.
• Demonstrated ability to take algorithms from simulation or development environments onto physical hardware.

Additional Experience That Would Be Valuable

• Impedance, admittance, force, or compliant control.
• Embedded systems and real-time software.
• Robotics simulation and physics-based modelling.
• Experience with perception, computer vision, sensor processing, machine learning or learning-based robotics.
• Experience taking early-stage robotic technology through testing, refinement, and deployment.

Why Join?

• Meaningful ownership over the control and motion software that brings those systems to life.
• A highly collaborative and hands-on environment, with engineers working closely across software, controls, mechanical, electrical, and robotics disciplines.