General Astronautics Verified
Aerospace, Space Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Software
Robotics Controls Engineer
El SegundoOnsiteFull Time$140,000–$170,000 /yrPosted 23 days agoHidden Gem · YC Startup
Required skills
- Robotics
- Mechanical Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Aerospace Engineering
- C++
- Python
- systems integration
- autonomous manipulation
- microgravity
- dexterous manipulation
Nice to have
- ROS 2
- robotic perception
- computer vision
- pose estimation
- sensor fusion
- vision-language-action models
Role summary
General Astronautics is seeking a Founding Robotics Engineer to develop the software, controls, and autonomy stack for autonomous dexterous robotic arms used in space. This role involves motion planning, controls, perception, simulation, and integration with physical hardware, with opportunities to use learning-based approaches. The engineer will be responsible for core robotic capabilities from development through flight demonstrations, with their software controlling hardware in space. A Bachelor's degree in a related engineering or computer science field, proficiency in C++/Python, and experience with physical robotic systems are required.
## **About the Role**
General Astronautics is building autonomous dexterous robotic arms for orbital inspection, repair, and assembly. Our systems will enable spacecraft to perform complex operations without astronaut intervention, transforming how hardware is maintained, upgraded, and operated in space.
We're looking for a Founding Robotics Engineer to own the software, controls, and autonomy stack that enables our robotic arms to perform complex manipulation tasks in microgravity. This role spans motion planning, controls, perception, simulation, and integration with physical hardware, with opportunities to develop and deploy emerging learning-based approaches to robotic autonomy.
This is a high-ownership, high-accountability role. You will be one of the first engineers at the company, working directly on the robot's core capabilities from initial development through flight demonstrations. The software you build will control real hardware in space.
## **Responsibilities**
- Lead development of the robotics software and autonomy stack for dexterous manipulation in microgravity
- Develop and implement motion planning, trajectory generation, inverse kinematics, and feedback control algorithms for robotic manipulators
- Integrate perception, sensing, and state estimation to enable autonomous interaction with objects and spacecraft hardware
- Develop, train, evaluate, and deploy learning-based robotic policies for autonomous manipulation tasks
- Define performance metrics, test procedures, and verification plans for autonomous robotic operations
## **Basic Qualifications**
- Bachelor's degree in Robotics, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related discipline.
- Strong understanding of robotic kinematics, dynamics, motion planning, and control theory
- Proficiency in C++ and/or Python for robotics software development
- Experience developing and deploying software on physical robotic systems
- Strong debugging, problem-solving, and systems integration skills
- Demonstrated ability to take ownership of complex technical problems from concept through working implementation
## **Preferred Skills and Experience**
- Experience with ROS 2
- Experience with robotic perception, computer vision, pose estimation, and sensor fusion
- Familiarity with vision-language-action models, foundation models for robotics, or world models
- Experience with physics simulation environments such as Isaac Sim, MuJoCo, or equivalent
- Experience deploying robotic software on embedded GPU platforms, including NVIDIA Jetson
- Experience developing autonomous systems for aerospace, defense, or other safety-critical environments
- Familiarity with software verification, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and configuration management
## **ITAR / Citizenship Requirements**
- Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or eligible for authorization under U.S. export regulations.
General Astronautics is building autonomous dexterous robotic arms for orbital inspection, repair, and assembly. Our systems will enable spacecraft to perform complex operations without astronaut intervention, transforming how hardware is maintained, upgraded, and operated in space.
We're looking for a Founding Robotics Engineer to own the software, controls, and autonomy stack that enables our robotic arms to perform complex manipulation tasks in microgravity. This role spans motion planning, controls, perception, simulation, and integration with physical hardware, with opportunities to develop and deploy emerging learning-based approaches to robotic autonomy.
This is a high-ownership, high-accountability role. You will be one of the first engineers at the company, working directly on the robot's core capabilities from initial development through flight demonstrations. The software you build will control real hardware in space.
## **Responsibilities**
- Lead development of the robotics software and autonomy stack for dexterous manipulation in microgravity
- Develop and implement motion planning, trajectory generation, inverse kinematics, and feedback control algorithms for robotic manipulators
- Integrate perception, sensing, and state estimation to enable autonomous interaction with objects and spacecraft hardware
- Develop, train, evaluate, and deploy learning-based robotic policies for autonomous manipulation tasks
- Define performance metrics, test procedures, and verification plans for autonomous robotic operations
## **Basic Qualifications**
- Bachelor's degree in Robotics, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related discipline.
- Strong understanding of robotic kinematics, dynamics, motion planning, and control theory
- Proficiency in C++ and/or Python for robotics software development
- Experience developing and deploying software on physical robotic systems
- Strong debugging, problem-solving, and systems integration skills
- Demonstrated ability to take ownership of complex technical problems from concept through working implementation
## **Preferred Skills and Experience**
- Experience with ROS 2
- Experience with robotic perception, computer vision, pose estimation, and sensor fusion
- Familiarity with vision-language-action models, foundation models for robotics, or world models
- Experience with physics simulation environments such as Isaac Sim, MuJoCo, or equivalent
- Experience deploying robotic software on embedded GPU platforms, including NVIDIA Jetson
- Experience developing autonomous systems for aerospace, defense, or other safety-critical environments
- Familiarity with software verification, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and configuration management
## **ITAR / Citizenship Requirements**
- Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or eligible for authorization under U.S. export regulations.
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