Control Engineer (Low-level) – Vancouver

Humanoid is the first AI and robotics company in the UK, creating the world’s most advanced, reliable, commercially scalable, and safe humanoid robots. Our first humanoid robot HMND 01 is a next-gen labour automation unit, providing highly efficient services across various use cases, starting with industrial applications.


Our Mission

At Humanoid we strive to create the world’s leading, commercially scalable, safe, and advanced humanoid robots that seamlessly integrate into daily life and amplify human capacity.

Vision

In a world where artificial intelligence opens up new horizons, our faith in its potential unveils a new outlook where, together, humans and machines build a new future filled with knowledge, inspiration, and incredible discoveries. The development of a functional humanoid robot underpins an era of abundance and well-being where poverty will disappear, and people will be able to choose what they want to do. We believe that providing a universal basic income will eventually be a true evolution of our civilization.

Solution

As the demands on our built environment rise, labour shortages loom. With the world’s workforce increasingly moving away from undesirable tasks, the manufacturing, construction, and logistics industries critical to our daily lives are left exposed. By deploying our general-purpose humanoid robots in environments deemed hazardous or monotonous, we envision a future where human well-being is safeguarded while closing the gaps in critical global labour needs.

About the Role

We are looking for a Senior Control Engineer to join our Control Team in Vancouver, focusing on low-level control development for robotic actuation systems.
You will be responsible for designing, implementing, and validating joint- and actuator-level controllers that deliver high precision, responsiveness, and safety for complex robotic mechanisms.
The ideal candidate has a solid background in control theory, experience with BLDC motor control, and strong software engineering skills in C++. You will work closely with other control and hardware engineers to model, tune, and optimize the behavior of real robots and their subsystems (i.e. limbs and end-effectors).

What You’ll Do

Low-level Control Development

• Design, tune, and implement actuator-level control loops for BLDC motors.
• Develop and validate joint-space control loops such as impedance, admittance for multi-DoF systems in ROS2 / ROS2 Control
• Work with embedded and communication layers (e.g., EtherCAT, CAN) to ensure deterministic timing and safety.
• Apply modern control theory (PID, feedforward, observers, and state feedback) to achieve stability, performance, and robustness.
• Implement safety and fault-handling mechanisms to ensure reliable operation under dynamic conditions.

Mechanism Modeling & System Identification

• Build accurate models of actuators, transmissions, and mechanisms to support control design and simulation.
• Perform system identification and parameter estimation to improve model fidelity and controller performance.
• Analyze system behavior using both analytical and experimental methods to refine controller design.

Software Development & Integration

• Develop high-performance C++ code for real-time control and diagnostics.
• Develop robotic applications in ROS2 Control
• Work closely with other control layers to ensure seamless integration between low-level and mid-level control systems.
• Contribute to real-time frameworks and infrastructure for deployment and testing of control algorithms.

Collaboration & Cross-Disciplinary Work

• Collaborate with mechanical, electronics, and control engineers across sites to define and validate actuation system requirements.
• Participate in hardware bring-up, calibration, and performance testing on physical systems.
• Support the integration of new actuators and sensor configurations into the control stack.

What We’re Looking For

• M.S. or Ph.D. in Control Engineering, Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in control system design and implementation for robotic or mechatronic systems.
• Strong foundation in control theory (linear and nonlinear control, system stability, observers, and state estimation).
• Proven experience with BLDC motor control, including commutation, current control, and torque optimization.
• Proficiency in ROS2 Control and C++ for real-time or embedded control software.
• Experience in modeling and simulation of dynamic systems.
• Track record of hands-on controller tuning and validation on hardware.

Nice to Have

• Experience with multi-DoF robotic systems or robotic hands and manipulators.
• Familiarity with system identification tools and simulation environments (e.g., MATLAB/Simulink, MuJoCo, Gazebo).
• Experience with real-time communication protocols (CAN, EtherCAT) and RTOS environments.
• Knowledge of sensing and calibration techniques (encoders, torque sensors, current sensors).
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a focus on control stability and performance.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary plus participation in our Stock Option Plan
• Paid vacation with adjustments based on your location to comply with local labor laws
• Private Insurance plan
• Travel opportunities to our London and Boston offices
• Office perks: free lunches
• Freedom to influence the product and own key initiatives
• Collaboration with top‑tier engineers, researchers, and product experts in AI and robotics
• Startup culture prioritising speed, transparency, and minimal bureaucracy.

How to Apply

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