Senior Robotics Engineer, Controls

Overview

Palo Alto, CA (on-site)

About 1X
We build humanoid robots that work alongside people to solve labor shortages and create abundance.

Senior Robotics Controls Engineer | Software Engineer

Palo Alto, CA (on-site)

About 1X
We build humanoid robots that work alongside people to solve labor shortages and create abundance.

The Role

As a Senior Robotics Controls Engineer, you will develop the real-time software stack that enables our humanoid robots to move, balance, and manipulate the world with precision and reliability. Your work will span low-level motor control through whole-body dynamic control and estimation, making complex, high-DOF hardware accessible through clean and efficient software abstractions. This role is pivotal in bridging hardware and AI layers, and your contributions will be critical as we transition from R&D to large-scale production.

• Develop control algorithms for balancing, locomotion, and manipulation in humanoid robots
• Design fast and efficient state estimation systems
• Perform system identification and calibration of actuators, transmissions, and full-body kinematics
• Integrate and evaluate hardware components, including sensors and actuators
• Build tools for hardware bring-up, debugging, and robot diagnostics
• Develop software for health monitoring, visualization, and logging
• Build and maintain APIs for higher-level systems to command the robot

• 3+ years of experience deploying and debugging control or estimation software on high-DOF robots
• Strong understanding of rigid body dynamics, linear algebra, and numerical optimization
• Experience with optimization-based whole-body control, EKF-based state estimation, or model predictive control for legged systems
• Proficiency in C++ within a Linux development environment
• Familiarity with modern software development practices, source control, and testing

• Experience with Java, Unity/C#, Python, real-time Linux, ROS2, or DDS
• Background in writing embedded C for sensors or actuators
• Familiarity with the Yocto OS build system
• Hands-on experience building or working with robotics hardware independently

• Salary Range: $137,861 – $240,000 + Equity
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off and holidays

1X is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, medical condition, genetic information, disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.