Senior Robotics Controls Engineer

Location: South San Francisco, CA (On-site)

Salary: $150,000 – $250,000

Employment Type: Full-Time

About the Role

My client is seeking a Senior Robotics Controls Engineer to join a small, high-performing team developing autonomous surgical robotics systems. This is a hands-on role focused on designing the logic and algorithms that control robotic platforms in real surgical environments. Candidates must bring strong robotics fundamentals, advanced coding skills, and a startup mindset.

Key Responsibilities

·        Architect and implement low-latency, high-accuracy control systems for robotic platforms

·        Develop motion planning algorithms tailored to surgical workflows

·        Collaborate with perception, planning, and UI teams to integrate controls into a unified system

·        Participate in onsite visits to observe surgical procedures and validate system performance

·        Contribute to system-level design, testing, and optimization

Must-Have Qualifications

·        Bachelor’s degree in Robotics, Engineering, Computer Science, or related field

·        Strong academic foundation

·        Minimum 3 years of experience in robotics engineering or a closely related field

·        Expertise in control systems and motion planning

·        Advanced software development skills in C++ and Python

·        Comfortable viewing live surgical procedures during onsite visits

·        Willingness to travel to customer sites up to once per month

Strongly Preferred

·        Master’s degree in a relevant field

·        Experience with autonomous vehicles

·        Familiarity with surgical robotics systems

·        Exposure to ROS and real-time systems

Tech Stack

·        Employer Tech Stack: C++, Python, React, TypeScript

·        Acceptable Backgrounds: C++, Python, Robotics, ROS

Important Screening Notes

·        Candidates must confirm comfort with viewing live surgical procedures

·        Candidates must confirm availability for occasional travel (up to once per month)

·        Not open to OPT candidates

·        This role is focused on algorithmic control—not manufacturing operations

·        Candidates with only Matlab experience or manufacturing “controls” backgrounds are not a match

Work Environment

This is a full-time, on-site role based in South San Francisco. The team operates with a startup mindset—fast-paced, mission-driven, and collaborative. Candidates should be energized by the opportunity to define core robotics logic in a high-impact healthcare setting.