{"id":742052,"url":"https://alion.io/job/deftai-senior-controls-engineer","title":"Senior Controls Engineer","company":{"id":673681,"name":"Deft AI","domain":"deftai.co","url":"https://alion.io/company/deftai","size_band":null,"is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Ashby","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":75,"open_postings":9,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":1,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":null,"computed_at":"2026-11-06T05:58:05Z"}},"role":"Robotics","role_family":"Robotics","seniority":"senior","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["San Francisco, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":100000,"max":200000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":200000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":true,"technologies":[{"name":"C++","optional":false},{"name":"Inverse Kinematics","optional":false},{"name":"MuJoCo","optional":false},{"name":"PyBullet","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false},{"name":"Sensor Fusion","optional":false},{"name":"Human-in-the-Loop","optional":true},{"name":"ROS","optional":true},{"name":"ROS2","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-04-15T23:01:24Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-04-15","last_verified_at":"2026-11-06T10:43:53Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":204,"trust":{"level":"stale","repost_count":0,"flags":["stale"],"days_open":204},"description":"About This Role\nOur robots operate in real production environments where control reliability isn't optional - it's the difference between a deployed system and a demo. As a Senior Controls Engineer, you'll work directly on the low-level control and motion systems that make our bimanual wheeled robots safe, precise, and production-ready. This is not a paper-reading internship. You'll ship code that runs on real hardware, debug edge cases that only surface on the factory floor, and see the direct impact of your work on deployed robot performance.\nWhat You'll Do\nDesign and implement real-time supervisory control systems for smooth handoff between autonomous and teleoperated modes, including trajectory blending and forward-consistent motion during transitions.\nImprove inverse kinematics solvers for multi-arm manipulation - resolving singularities, boundary failures, and ensuring robust solutions across the full reachable workspace.\nDevelop sensor fusion pipelines (IMU, odometry, vision) for precise mobile base localization and orientation control under tight angular tolerances.\nIntegrate new actuators for bimanual arm systems - including motor driver communication, torque/position/velocity control mode configuration, gain tuning, and safety limit implementation\nRequired Qualifications\nStrong fundamentals in classical control theory (PID, impedance/admittance control, state estimation) with hands-on experience implementing controllers on physical hardware.\nProficiency in Python and C/C++ for real-time embedded or robotic applications.\nHands-on experience with inverse kinematics solvers and simulation environments (PyBullet, MuJoCo, Drake, or similar), including practical familiarity with IK libraries or custom Jacobian-based implementations.\nExperience with rigid-body kinematics, coordinate frame transformations (homogeneous transforms, SE(3), quaternion representations)\nExperience with sensor fusion techniques (Kalman filtering, complementary filters) using IMU, encoders, or similar proprioceptive sensors.\nPreferred Qualifications\nPrior experience with ROS/ROS2, CAN bus communication, or motor control interfaces.\nFamiliarity with trajectory smoothing and interpolation methods (spline-based planning, Ruckig, or similar time-optimal trajectory libraries).\nExperience with wheeled or mobile robot platforms, including human in the loop data collection framework\nBenefits\nMedical, dental & vision plans ($0 payroll deduction)\nDaily meals stipend.\nInterview Process\nPhone screen + 2 virtual technical interviews + onsite\n$100,000 - $200,000 annual salary + cash and stock awards + benefits\nExpected Compensation\nThe pay offered for this position may vary based on several individual factors, including job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package may also include additional components/benefits depending on the specific role. 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