Controls Engineer - Space Robotics / GNC

My fellow humans of WellFound,

Time for some lighthearted world domination.

The gang is going to space (again).

Dreamers is looking for a full-time Controls Engineer who can make a free-flying robot behave itself in six degrees of freedom. This is hands-on aerospace robotics work: model it, simulate it, build it, tune it, test it, find out what physics objects do, and try again.

You will:

• Develop and simulate 6-DOF dynamics and control systems for free-flying space robots.
• Design and tune attitude and translational controllers using PID, LQR, model-based, adaptive, or other appropriate methods.
• Integrate state estimation, VIO/SLAM, sensors, actuators, and real-time control loops.
• Work across avionics, propulsion, embedded compute, simulation, and hands-on flight testing.
• Help build safety, redundancy, and fault-tolerant behavior for systems operating around expensive hardware and humans.

We are looking for:

• Strong foundations in linear and nonlinear control, dynamics, state estimation, and actuator control.
• Demonstrated controls work on drones, aerospace robotics, spacecraft, autonomous vehicles, or closely related systems.
• Experience with MATLAB/Simulink, C++ or Python, and real-time implementation.
• Hands-on experience with robotic or spacecraft GNC systems such as free-flyers, drones, or CubeSats.
• Evidence that you enjoy building and testing real hardware, not merely admiring the simulation.

Extra points for ROS 2, Jetson, VIO/SLAM, Intel RealSense, Luxonis, formation flying, proximity operations, docking systems, humanoid robotics, and flight-test integration.

This is not a remote role. You must already be in the Los Angeles area or be willing to relocate to greater Los Angeles and work on-site near Pasadena.

Base salary range: $180,000-$260,000 USD, depending on experience and demonstrated fit.

Please share a current resume, examples of relevant systems or hardware you personally helped build, your current location or relocation plans, and your salary expectations.

Questions? Curiosity is good. Inquire within.