Deft AI, Inc.
AI & Machine LearningDirect Ashby career site

Senior Controls Engineer

Pay
$100,000 – $200,000 per year
Location
San Francisco, CA · On-site
Job type
Full-time
Level
Senior
Listed
30 days ago

Skills & highlights for this role

  • PID control
  • inverse kinematics
  • Kalman filtering
  • sensor fusion

Also useful

  • ROS
  • ROS2
  • CAN bus
  • Ruckig

Stated benefits & perks

  • Medical
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • Daily meals

About This Role

Our 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.

What You'll Do

  • Design and implement real-time supervisory control systems for smooth handoff between autonomous and teleoperated modes, including trajectory blending and forward-consistent motion during transitions.
  • Improve inverse kinematics solvers for multi-arm manipulation - resolving singularities, boundary failures, and ensuring robust solutions across the full reachable workspace.
  • Develop sensor fusion pipelines (IMU, odometry, vision) for precise mobile base localization and orientation control under tight angular tolerances.
  • Integrate new actuators for bimanual arm systems - including motor driver communication, torque/position/velocity control mode configuration, gain tuning, and safety limit implementation

Required Qualifications

  • Strong fundamentals in classical control theory (PID, impedance/admittance control, state estimation) with hands-on experience implementing controllers on physical hardware.
  • Proficiency in Python and C/C++ for real-time embedded or robotic applications.
  • Hands-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.
  • Experience with rigid-body kinematics, coordinate frame transformations (homogeneous transforms, SE(3), quaternion representations)
  • Experience with sensor fusion techniques (Kalman filtering, complementary filters) using IMU, encoders, or similar proprioceptive sensors.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Prior experience with ROS/ROS2, CAN bus communication, or motor control interfaces.
  • Familiarity with trajectory smoothing and interpolation methods (spline-based planning, Ruckig, or similar time-optimal trajectory libraries).
  • Experience with wheeled or mobile robot platforms, including human in the loop data collection framework

Benefits

  • Medical, dental & vision plans ($0 payroll deduction)
  • Daily meals stipend.

Interview Process

Phone screen + 2 virtual technical interviews + onsite $100,000 - $200,000 annual salary + cash and stock awards + benefits

Expected Compensation

  • The 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.
  • This information will be shared if an employment offer is extended.
Read the original posting

From Deft AI, Inc.'s careers page, first listed on Rolev.ai on October 10, 2026. Rolev.ai is not the employer.

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Common questions

What is the salary for the Senior Controls Engineer role at Deft AI, Inc.?

The Senior Controls Engineer posting at Deft AI, Inc. states compensation of $100,000 – $200,000 per year. It is listed as a full-time position. Final pay may depend on location, experience, and interview evaluation on Deft AI, Inc.'s official career site.

Where is the Senior Controls Engineer job at Deft AI, Inc. located?

This Senior Controls Engineer position at Deft AI, Inc. is located in San Francisco, CA (On-site). Always check Deft AI, Inc.'s application page for specific state eligibility or relocation policies.

What qualifications are required for Senior Controls Engineer at Deft AI, Inc.?

For the Senior Controls Engineer role, Deft AI, Inc. highlights experience with PID control, inverse kinematics, Kalman filtering, sensor fusion. Rolev.ai can score your existing resume against these requirements and show any skill gaps before you apply.

How do I apply for the Senior Controls Engineer position at Deft AI, Inc.?

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