Description
We are partnering with Ghost Robotics and have announced the search for a Robotics Software Engineer (Controls)
Description
Ghost Robotics is a robotics company building autonomous systems that operate in complex, dynamic environments. Our perception stack enables our robots to understand, localize, and navigate the world in real time, and we place a strong emphasis on robustness, performance, and maintainable engineering.
We are seeking a Senior Controls Engineer to design, implement, and deploy cutting-edge control algorithms for dynamic legged robotic systems operating in complex real-world environments. You will work across dynamics, optimization, state estimation, and real-time software owning both algorithmic innovation and system-level performance on hardware.
This role is ideal for engineers who thrive on high-velocity problem solving, deep technical ownership, and hands-on testing and validation.
Responsibilities
Design, implement, and validate advanced control architectures (e.g., model-based, optimization-based, learning-augmented controllers) for agility and robustness.
Develop, maintain, and validate state estimation and sensor fusion pipelines (IMU, joint encoders, contact/force sensing).
Lead gait generation, footstep planning, contact scheduling, and disturbance recovery tuning.
Perform rigorous offline and real-time testing in simulation and hardware environments.
Debug and analyze system performance using logs, visualization tools, hardware experiments, and fleet data.
Build automated diagnostics, analysis scripts, and tools to improve robot reliability and field performance.
Collaborate closely with mechanical, perception, embedded, and systems teams to ensure end-to-end performance and robustness.
Write clean, maintainable, real-time-safe code in C++ and Python.
Mentor junior engineers and contribute to long-term architectural decisions.
Requirements
Requirements
Required Qualifications
Strong foundations in control theory (linear, nonlinear, optimal control) with experience in legged locomotion or other dynamic systems.
Experience with multi-body dynamics, modeling, and simulation (e.g., MuJoCo, Gazebo, Isaac Sim, PyBullet).
Hands-on experience deploying algorithms on physical robotic systems and debugging complex hardware/software interactions.
Proficiency in modern C++ (C++17/20) and Python for development and tooling.
Experience with Unix/Linux environments and software engineering best practices (version control, CI/CD).
Masters/PhD in Robotics, Mechanical, Electrical, Aerospace Engineering or equivalent work experience.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with legged or humanoid robots and real-world locomotion challenges.
Background in whole-body control frameworks (operational space control, MPC, etc.).
Familiarity with state estimation methodologies (EKF, factor graphs, UKF).
Experience architecting data analysis pipelines and automated diagnostic systems.
Publications or significant open-source contributions in robotics, controls, or estimation.
Experience with ROS 2 and real-time middleware.
A combination of classical control and reinforcement learning applied to robotic systems.
Demonstrated ability to lead technical efforts and mentor junior engineers.