Robot Controls Lead

Maxwell Bond; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Maxwell Bond seeks a Robot Control Lead to own the control stack for our automated robotic systems. You will design and deploy real-time control, impedance/force control, and whole-body strategies, collaborating with mechanical, electrical, and perception teams to move from prototype to reliable field deployment.

The role is hands-on leadership within a software team, requiring expertise in ROS/ROS2, simulation tools, and production-grade code in MATLAB/Simulink, with a focus on safety,

Qualifications

• Expertise in robotics control theory and deployment of control systems for physical robots.
• Experience with impedance control and force control using force/torque sensors.
• Strong background in robot motion planning and trajectory control.
• Proven ability to design and implement real-time control systems.
• Hands-on experience with ROS/ROS2 in production robotic platforms.
• Familiarity with robotics simulation tools (IsaacSim, MuJoCo).
• Experience with MATLAB/Simulink for model development and code translation.

Responsibilities

• Own the architecture and implementation of the robot control stack from joint space to whole-body Cartesian control.
• Design and implement impedance/force control and compliant manipulation strategies.
• Develop real-time control loops meeting timing, safety and reliability for industrial robots.
• Create motion and trajectory generation methods balancing speed, precision and safety.
• Build and maintain simulation environments to validate control algorithms before hardware deployment.
• Develop controllers using MATLAB/Simulink and translate models to production-grade real-time code.
• Industrialize control software for field operation at scale; mentor software controls engineers.
• Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, perception and product teams to define system requirements.
• Lead and guide engineers on the controls team, establishing best practices and technical direction.
• Support on-site commissioning, testing, and troubleshooting of deployed robots.

Skills

Robotics & Control Theory

Impedance & Force Control

Robot Motion Planning

Real-time Control Systems

ROS/ROS2

Robot Simulation (IsaacSim/MuJoCo)

MATLAB/Simulink

Real-time Vision & Perception (VLM/VLA

Education

Advanced degree (M.S./Ph.D.) in Robotics/EE/CS

Tools

ROS/ROS2

MATLAB/Simulink

IsaacSim

MuJoCo

Job description

A well-backed, early-stage robotics company reinventing a decades-old, unautomated physical process into a high-performance, automated system built for the future of its industry. Founded by experienced entrepreneurs and backed by leading players across the sector, the team combines deep robotics expertise with real-world deployment, moving fast from prototype to production and scaling directly in the field.

If you're excited by hands-on robotics, industrial physical AI, real-world impact, and building category-defining technology from the ground up, this is a genuinely rare opportunity.

Position Overview:

We're looking for a Robot Control Lead to own the control stack powering our automated robotic systems. You'll lead the design, development, and deployment of the different layers of robot control that let our robots interact safely and precisely with their environment, from real-time force-aware dexterous manipulation to task planning and reasoning with perception and AI models. This is a hands-on leadership role: part of the software team architecting control systems, writing and reviewing code, working side by side with mechanical, electrical, and perception teams to take robots from prototype to reliable field deployment.

Responsibilities:

• Own the architecture and implementation of the robot control stack, from joint space control up to whole-body Cartesian based control


• Design and implement impedance control, force control, and compliant manipulation strategies using Force-Torque sensor feedback for complex dexterous manipulations


• Develop and tune real-time control loops that meet the timing, safety, and reliability requirements of an industrial robotic system operating in the field


• Design robot motion and trajectory generation strategies that balance speed, precision, and safety in dynamic, real-world environments


• Build and maintain simulation environments (e.g., IsaacSim, MuJoCo, or similar) to develop, validate, and regression-test control algorithms before deployment on hardware


• Develop controllers and control logic using tools such as MATLAB/Simulink, and translate models into production-grade real-time code


• Lead the industrialization of control software, hardening prototypes into robust, maintainable, deployable systems for field operation at scale


• Collaborate closely with mechanical, electrical, perception, and product teams to define system requirements and resolve cross-disciplinary technical challenges


• Mentor and guide other engineers on the software controls team, setting technical direction and best practices


• Support on-site commissioning, testing, and troubleshooting of deployed robotic systems as needed

Requirements:

• Expertise in robotics and control theory, with a strong track record of designing and deploying control systems for physical robots


• Expertise in low-level control, including impedance control and force control using Force-Torque sensors


• Expertise in robot motion planning and trajectory/motion control


• Expertise in real-time control systems, including their design, implementation, and performance constraints


• Experience with ROS/ROS2 in production robotic systems


• Hands-on experience with robot simulation tools such as IsaacSim, MuJoCo, or similar platforms


• Experience with robot controller development environments such as MATLAB/Simulink


• Experience with real-time vision systems and modern perception models, including VLM and VLA approaches


• Demonstrated experience taking robotic applications from prototype through industrialization and field deployment

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) in Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field


• Experience with force/torque-sensitive manipulation in industrial applications


• Prior experience in a startup or fast-paced environment, taking products from prototype to production


• Familiarity with functional safety standards and practices for industrial robotics


• Track record of technical leadership, mentoring, and cross-functional collaboration