Staff Software Systems Engineer, Motor Controls

Joby Aviation; California City (CA); On-site; USD 155,000 - 213,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

RSUs

Healthcare benefits

Job summary

Joby Aviation is seeking an experienced controls engineer to design, implement, and validate motor control systems for electric fly-by-wire aircraft in our San Carlos, CA facility. You will work across hardware, mechanical, and flight-test teams to deliver robust, safety-critical servo controls and models.

You will develop and test algorithms in MATLAB/Simulink, implement in C/C++, and perform PIL/HIL verification, with extensive hands-on dynamometer and flight testing to validate system

Qualifications

• B.S degree in Mechanical Engineering or relevant field.
• 10+ years in mechanical, electrical, computer and robotics/mechatronics.
• Experience with actuation systems or servo control on safety-critical applications.
• Embedded applications in C/C++, MATLAB Simulink model-based design.
• PIL/HIL verification/debugging.
• Proficiency with basic electronics debugging tools (oscilloscope, logic analyzer, power analyzer).
• Onsite regularly in San Carlos, CA.

Responsibilities

• Sensored and sensorless control of permanent magnet synchronous motors.
• Advanced inverter PWM, position/velocity estimation, current control.
• Develop fault detection, isolation, and reconfiguration logic for safety-critical systems.
• Closed-loop position control of duplex servo actuation systems with multiple sensors.
• Optimize motor controls using MATLAB Simulink.
• Develop wrappers for MATLAB Simulink code in C/C++.
• Ensure performance via controls algorithms and hardware testing.
• Oversee dynamometer testing and data interpretation for controls development.
• Tuning and calibration on dynamometers, test stands, and aircraft.
• Unit-tests for build environment and subsystem/integration testing.
• Translate system requirements to software requirements.
• Develop system-level actuator models and integrate with inverters.

Skills

Servo control

Embedded C/C++

MATLAB/Simulink

System modeling

PIL/HIL testing

Version control

Electrical/mechanical

On-site San Carlos

Education

B.S. Mechanical Eng or relevant field

Tools

Oscilloscope

Logic Analyzer

Power Analyzer

Job description

Overview

This engineer will play a key role in a small, fast-moving team and participate in architecture, design, and implementation of motor control systems within our electric-powered, fly-by-wire aircraft. This engineer will work closely with the hardware, mechanical, integration, and flight-testing teams to design, develop, test and improve system-level behaviors.

Responsibilities

• Sensored and sensorless control of permanent magnet synchronous motors
• Advanced inverter pulse-width modulation, position and velocity estimation, current control and efficiency optimization
• Develop fault detection, isolation, and reconfiguration logic for safety critical systems
• Closed loop position control of simplex and duplex redundant servo actuation systems with redundant position sensors and multi-phase motors controlled from separate inverters
• Optimization of motor controls using MATLAB Simulink
• Develop wrappers and interfaces for the MATLAB Simulink code in C/C++
• Ensure inverter and motor systems meet performance requirements via controls algorithm development, implementation, Simulink simulation and hardware testing
• Oversee dynamometer testing and interpretation of data for controls development, validation and improvement
• Tuning and calibration of complete systems on dynamometers, on test stands, and on the aircraft
• Unit-tests for build environment, sub-system validation testing, integration testing, flight testing, processor/hardware in the loop testing
• Decompose system level requirements to software requirements
• Develop system level actuator models and integrate with inverters and servo controls for wholistic system level understanding of performance

Required

• B.S degree in Mechanical Engineering or relevant field and 10+ years of related technical experience (including mechanical, electrical, computer and robotics / mechatronics engineering)
• Experience with actuation systems and/or servo control on safety critical applications
• Experience developing embedded applications in C/C++, MATLAB Simulink model-based design for controls development
• Experience with basic electronics debugging tools: oscilloscope, logic analyzer, power analyzer
• Basic understanding of version control technologies
• Experience with processor/hardware in the loop (PIL/HIL) verification/debugging
• Experience creating mathematical models of servo systems for system identification, analyses and simulations
• Knowledge of electro-mechanical systems focusing on interactions between electrical and mechanical components in servo systems
• Ability to be onsite regularly in San Carlos, CA

Desired

• Advanced degree in Mechanical Engineering or relevant field
• Technical experience with aerospace actuation and controls system development
• Knowledge of control system design and principles of feedback control including PID control and advanced control techniques and their applications in the servo systems
• Knowledge of real time bare-metal firmware development
• Experience with hard, real-time interrupt-driven software development

Additional Information

Compensation at Joby is a combination of base pay and Restricted Stock Units (RSUs). The target base pay for this position is $154,600 - $212,600/yr. The compensation package will be determined by job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Joby also offers a comprehensive benefits package, including paid time off, healthcare benefits, a 401(k) plan with a company match, an employee stock purchase plan (ESPP), short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, and more.

Joby is an Equal Opportunity Employer.