Spectrum Search is partnered with a well-backed autonomous systems and robotics company developing production-grade technology for complex industrial and transport environments. The team is looking for a Senior Robotics Controls Engineer to build and deploy control systems on real autonomous vehicles operating in demanding conditions.
About the opportunity
This is a hands-on engineering role focused on autonomous vehicle controls, localisation, state estimation and navigation. You will work directly with production systems and physical vehicles, solving controls challenges across varying terrain, payloads and operating conditions.
The position suits an engineer who combines strong controls fundamentals with practical experience deploying robotics or autonomous vehicle systems outside of research environments.
The role
You will design, implement and tune the core control systems used by autonomous heavy vehicles. The work spans model predictive control (MPC), path following, longitudinal and lateral control, localisation and state estimation.
You will also analyse vehicle performance through field testing and log replay, working closely with perception, planning and hardware engineers to take systems from development through to production deployment.
Key responsibilities
- Design, implement and tune MPC and PID control algorithms for autonomous vehicles
- Develop localisation and state estimation pipelines using GPS/RTK, IMU and other sensor inputs
- Build robust sensor fusion approaches using Kalman filters, EKF and UKF
- Develop lateral and longitudinal control, steering and path-following systems
- Analyse production and field-test data to diagnose control issues and identify root causes
- Develop production control software using Python and C++
- Collaborate with perception, planning and hardware teams on autonomous system integration
- Support field deployment, testing and tuning, with periodic travel of up to 15%
Essential requirements
- Strong practical experience in robotics controls engineering and production autonomous systems
- Hands-on experience with Robot Operating System (ROS) and Linux
- Practical knowledge of model predictive control and other modern control techniques
- Strong Python and C++ engineering skills
- Experience deploying localisation, navigation, lateral control or longitudinal control on real autonomous vehicles
- Strong understanding of state estimation, Kalman filtering and sensor fusion
- Experience working with vehicle or robotics sensor data and debugging complex real-world systems
- Ability to translate controls theory into reliable production software
Nice-to-haves
- Experience with autonomous systems used in industrial, off-road or similarly complex environments
- Background in autonomous vehicles, heavy equipment or advanced robotics
- Experience with technologies such as NumPy, SciPy, NVIDIA Jetson, CAN Bus, GPS/RTK and IMUs
- Advanced technical study or equivalent depth of expertise in controls, robotics, mechanical, aerospace or electrical engineering
Location and remote setup
This is a full-time, on-site position based in San Francisco, requiring five days per week on site. Relocation support is available, and the company is open to eligible visa transfers and sponsorship. The role also involves periodic travel of up to 15% for field deployment, testing and tuning.