Senior Autonomy Engineer - Controls

Skydio is the leading US drone company and the world leader in autonomous flight, the key technology for the future of drones and aerial mobility. The Skydio team combines deep expertise in artificial intelligence, best-in-class hardware and software product development, operational excellence, and customer obsession to empower a broader, more diverse audience of drone users, from utility inspectors to first responders, soldiers in battlefield scenarios and beyond. About the Role: The controls algorithms running onboard our autonomous drones define its behavior creating stable/smooth flight and gimbal motion. This enables our pilots to easily execute their objectives from inspection & mapping to missions and security use cases. You will contribute to the development and implementation of the core motion planning software touching everything from the low-level stabilization and control, to high level task-specific frameworks, with a particular focus on the low-level controls.

Responsibilities

Contribute to the development and implementation of the core motion planning software touching everything from the low-level stabilization and control, to high level task-specific frameworks, with a particular focus on the low-level controls; Develop, tune, and evaluate low level controllers and trajectory optimization; Work across the software system to define the right data and interfaces for successful control; Work with the UX team to explore and define planning/UI boundaries for new interaction paradigms

Requirements

Industry or Research experience writing software that controls real hardware, e.g. grasping manipulation of a robotic arm, self-driving cars, aerial robots, or any kind of mobile robot; Modern and classical control design methods; High proficiency in C++; Dynamic programming; Non-linear optimization; Solid software engineering foundation and a commitment to writing clean, well-architected code

Benefits

Equity in the form of stock options; Comprehensive benefits packages; Group health insurance plans; Paid vacation time; Sick leave; Holiday pay; 401K savings plan; Relocation assistance may be provided for eligible roles