Automotive Control Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

AboutKnightscope

Knightscope is a security technology company building the Nations First Autonomous Security Force. The Company combines autonomous machines, advanced software, and human expertise to help protect people, property, and critical infrastructure. Knightscopes long-term mission is to make the United States of America the safest country in the world

Job Summary

Knightscope is seeking a Staff Chassis and Motion Control Engineer to lead the mechanical and control systems development of our autonomous security robot platforms. In this role, you will own the design and integration of chassis architecture, suspension, drivetrain, and the motion control systems that govern how our robots move through complex, real-world environments. You will combine deep expertise in vehicle dynamics, mechanical design, and control theory to deliver platforms that are safe, reliable, and capable of operating autonomously across diverse terrain and conditions.

Location Requirement: Full-time, on-site at Sunnyvale HQ (no relocation provided)

About the Role

As a Staff-level engineer, you will set the technical directions for chassis hardware and motion controls and serve as a hands-on technical leader across cross-functional teams. Your responsibilities will span the full development lifecycle, from concept and requirements definition through prototyping, validation, and production.

You will architect chassis and suspension systems that balance stability, payload, durability, and manufacturability while meeting demanding operating requirements. On the controls side, you will develop and tune steering, traction, and motion control algorithms, including steer-by-wire and drive-by-wire subsystems, and define the interfaces between low-level motion control and higher-level autonomy. You will own vehicle-level requirements related to lateral acceleration limits, dynamic stability, and ride quality, deriving them with traceable rigor against relevant functional safety and robotics standards.

Day to day, you will work closely with autonomy, electrical, and systems teams to ensure motion control performance meets the needs of the full stack, lead design reviews and failure analysis, mentor junior engineers, and establish best practices for testing and validation. The ideal candidate brings a strong foundation in mechanical engineering and controls, extensive experience taking electromechanical platforms from concept to production, and the judgment to make sound architectural decisions in a fast-moving environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and develop braking, steering, wheel, tire, and suspension concepts that improve cost, mass, efficiency, manufacturability, and serviceability for an autonomous security robot
• Challenge existing requirements and define new ones for system sizing, functions, and features based on regulations, first principles, and product attributes
• Appropriately scale automotive architectures for a smaller, lower-volume security robot
• Assess and validate the manufacturing, assembly, and service feasibility of design proposals
• Design, analyze, build, and test prototypes at the subsystem, system, and full-vehicle levels
• Evaluate braking, steering, ride, and handling attributesboth subjectively and objectivelyin production vehicles, prototype vehicles, and simulation
• Collaborate closely with the autonomy team to ensure vehicle controllability
• Work with cross-functional teams to ensure product requirements are met
• Define and develop chassis control strategies and electrical architecture, and drive chassis software, electrical, and vehicle integration

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Automotive Engineering
• Experience designing systems with a combination of custom and off the shelf parts
• 10+ years of automotive experience
• Experience with Vector/ETAS/New Eagle tools (CANape, INCA, RaptorCAL, etc.)
• Strong working knowledge of chassis systems and vehicle dynamics
• Experience designing, prototyping, and testing mechanical and electromechanical systems
• Proven delivery of chassis systems, with at least one product taken from concept to production
• Hands-on experience in prototype development and vehicle validation
• Familiarity with chassis software development (MATLAB/Simulink/RaptorDEV)
• Ability to read and work with electrical schematics, with a sound understanding of automotive bus systems (CAN, Ethernet)
• Understanding of fundamental engineering processes, including hardware and software release, requirements definition, and test planning

Compensation & Benefits

• Base Salary: $180,000 - $210,000 DOE
• Equity:Stock options
• Benefits:Medical, dental, vision, 401(k), paid time off
• Location Requirement:Full-time, on-site at Sunnyvale HQ