Senior Robotics Controls Engineer
Pronto · San Francisco, CA · United States · On-site
Pay: USD 176,000 – 240,000 a year
Posted Jul 7, 2026
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Who we are
Atoms is building the machines that power the next era of progress.
Over the last decade, software has transformed the digital world. But the physical world, where food is made, minerals are mined, goods are moved, and industries are run, remains far less intelligent, far less efficient, and far more constrained. We’re changing that.
Atoms builds Physical AI— real-world robots for the industries that move civilization forward, starting with food, mining, and transport. Our systems are designed to understand, predict, and control the real world with precision, turning complex physical operations into something more reliable, more scalable, and more productive.
This work requires more than robotics. It requires deep integration across hardware, software, AI, operations, manufacturing, and real estate. We don’t just build machines in a lab. We deploy them into real environments, operate them, learn from them, and improve them until they work at scale.
We are roboticists, engineers, operators, and builders. We believe the next great technology companies will not only transform information, but the physical systems that shape everyday life.
If you want to work on hard problems with real-world impact, join us.
What you’ll do
We're looking for a Robotics Controls Engineer to develop and maintain the core control systems that enable autonomous haul trucks to operate safely in mining environments. You'll work on localization, path following, longitudinal control, and steering systems that run on 200+ ton vehicles. Responsibilities include the following:
Design, implement, and tune control algorithms for autonomous vehicle systems
Build Localization & State Estimation, Longitudinal Control, Lateral and Control Navigation.
Develop state estimation pipelines that fuse multiple sensor modalities
Analyze system performance through simulation and field testing
Debug control issues using logged data and identify root causes
Collaborate with perception, planning, and hardware teams to integrate control systems
Write production-quality Python code that runs reliably and efficiently
Travel note: This role requires periodic travel to customer sites (up to 15%)
Schedule note: Some schedule flexibility may be required during deployments
What we’re looking for
BS/MS/PhD in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering or related field required
3+ years of professional (non-internship) software development experience
Strong foundation in classical control theory (PID, lead/lag compensation, stability analysis)
Experience with state estimation (Kalman filters, EKF/UKF)
Proficiency in Python and NumPy/SciPy for numerical computing
Understanding of vehicle dynamics and kinematics
Ability to read and debug real-time control code
Experience deploying localization and controls algorithms on real-world systems
Experience with Model Predictive Control (MPC)
Familiarity…