Controls Engineer

You will:

Join a pioneering team that’s redefining autonomous vehicle development through the power of unsupervised learning. At Helm, we’ve established ourselves as industry leaders by successfully developing OEM-grade perception models using an AI-first approach. Now, we’re embarking on an ambitious new chapter: developing a comprehensive ML centric autonomous vehicle stack for urban environments.

As a member of our AV Controls team, you’ll be at the center of our autonomous driving initiative—spearheading vehicle control systems while collaborating closely with our perception and planning teams to create a cohesive, state-of-the-art AV stack. While trajectory tracking and execution are core responsibilities, you’ll have the opportunity to influence and contribute across the entire autonomous driving pipeline. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of autonomous driving alongside a proven team that combines deep technical expertise with cutting-edge AI methodologies. 

Main Responsibilities:

• Partner with perception and planning teams to architect, build, and test an AI-first autonomous driving platform for urban environments
• Design and implement robust vehicle control systems for trajectory tracking and execution, with a focus on real-time performance and reliability
• Develop and validate vehicle dynamics models through system identification and data analysis, driving continuous improvement in control system performance
• Create and execute comprehensive validation strategies across simulation and real-world testing environments

You have:

• 4+ years of hands-on experience developing vehicle control systems in the autonomous vehicle or ADAS industry
• Demonstrated expertise implementing real-time optimal control strategies (MPC or iLQR) for vehicle trajectory tracking, with proven on-vehicle implementation experience
• Experience addressing real-world controls challenges, including sensor noise, system latencies, and state estimation uncertainty
• Track record of developing and validating vehicle dynamics models through system identification and data-driven approaches
• Strong theoretical foundation in control theory, optimization, and vehicle dynamics, with practical application experience

• Competitive health insurance options
• 401K plan management
• Remote-friendly and flexible team culture
• Free lunch and fully-stocked kitchen in our South Bay office
• Additional perks: monthly wellness stipend, office set up allowance, company retreats, and more to come as we scale
• The opportunity to work on one of the most interesting, impactful problems of the decade