Staff Firmware Engineer - Motors

Responsibilities

• Design estimators and controllers for propulsion motors and actuators in collaboration with the vehicle controls team.
• Implement motor controllers in C++ for bare-metal ARM microcontrollers and write peripheral drivers for new motor-controller hardware.
• Validate firmware on the bench and during flight tests.
• Improve flight-software reliability through fault-management strategies and hardware- and software-in-the-loop testing.
• Build vehicle simulations in Rust for firmware validation and regression testing.
• Collaborate with electrical engineers to bring up and validate new inverter designs.
• Build and maintain automated fleet-performance monitoring systems to direct maintenance activity.

Requirements

• Fluency in C or C++ and enthusiasm for writing Rust and Python.
• Mastery of nonlinear estimation techniques and classical control theory.
• Some experience with mechatronic control systems through hobby projects or professional work.
• Experience working across embedded environments, including bare metal, RTOS, and embedded Linux.
• Experience supporting real-world robotic systems, including handling edge cases and rare events for safety, reliability, and performance.
• Systems-engineering mindset and ability to solve problems beyond the core technical area.
• Strong executive communication skills for explaining technical work to nontechnical stakeholders.
• Must be able to work onsite in South San Francisco, California.
• Background in electronics design is appreciated but not required.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Paid time off.
• Equity compensation may be included in the total compensation package.
• Discretionary annual or performance bonuses may be included.
• Onsite work in South San Francisco, California.