Ghost Robotics · 2 days ago
Controls Engineer - Legged Robotics
Philadelphia, PA
Full-time
Onsite
Senior LevelGhost Robotics is seeking a Senior Controls Engineer to design, implement, and deploy cutting-edge control algorithms for dynamic legged robotic systems. The role involves working on algorithmic innovation and system-level performance while collaborating with various teams to ensure robust operation in complex environments.
IndustrialMilitaryMiningOil and GasPhysical SecurityPublic SafetyRobotics
Responsibilities
Design, implement, and validate advanced control architectures (e.g., model-based, optimization-based, learning-augmented controllers) for agility and robustness
Develop, maintain, and validate state estimation and sensor fusion pipelines (IMU, joint encoders, contact/force sensing)
Lead gait generation, footstep planning, contact scheduling, and disturbance recovery tuning
Perform rigorous offline and real-time testing in simulation and hardware environments
Debug and analyze system performance using logs, visualization tools, hardware experiments, and fleet data
Build automated diagnostics, analysis scripts, and tools to improve robot reliability and field performance
Collaborate closely with mechanical, perception, embedded, and systems teams to ensure end-to-end performance and robustness
Write clean, maintainable, real-time-safe code in C++ and Python
Mentor junior engineers and contribute to long-term architectural decisions
Qualification
Required
Strong foundations in control theory (linear, nonlinear, optimal control) with experience in legged locomotion or other dynamic systems
Experience with multi-body dynamics, modeling, and simulation (e.g., MuJoCo, Gazebo, Isaac Sim, PyBullet)
Hands-on experience deploying algorithms on physical robotic systems and debugging complex hardware/software interactions
Proficiency in modern C++ (C++17/20) and Python for development and tooling
Experience with Unix/Linux environments and software engineering best practices (version control, CI/CD)
Masters/PhD in Robotics, Mechanical, Electrical, Aerospace Engineering or equivalent work experience
Preferred
Experience with legged or humanoid robots and real-world locomotion challenges
Background in whole-body control frameworks (operational space control, MPC, etc.)
Familiarity with state estimation methodologies (EKF, factor graphs, UKF)
Experience architecting data analysis pipelines and automated diagnostic systems
Publications or significant open-source contributions in robotics, controls, or estimation
Experience with ROS 2 and real-time middleware
A combination of classical control and reinforcement learning applied to robotic systems
Demonstrated ability to lead technical efforts and mentor junior engineers
Company
Ghost Robotics
Robots that Feel the World™ | Quadrupedal Robots (Q-UGV) for Unstructured, Demanding and Continuous-Use Environments
Founded in 2015
51-200 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Ghost Robotics has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (2)
2024 (2)
2022 (2)
2021 (1)
2020 (2)
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageTotal Funding
$1.45MKey Investors
Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania
2024-07-28Acquired
2021-08-25Seed· $0.45M
2019-03-15Seed
Leadership Team
Gavin Kenneally
Chief Executive Officer
Avik De
CTO
Recent News
2026-02-05
2025-12-12
2025-12-11
Company data provided by crunchbase