Controls Software Engineer, Atlas

Boston Dynamics is scaling the Atlas humanoid fleet to push the limits of generalist robotics. You will join the Atlas team as a Controls Software Engineer, working to build the robot nervous system that connects our state-of-the-art whole-body RL controller to the physical robot’s actuators and sensors. Our world-class team bridges the gap between control theory, robot hardware, and software engineering to deliver a reliable robot that can be scaled across thousands of humanoid robots doing complex tasks.

The Role

We are looking for an early-career engineer who thrives at the intersection of hardware and software. You will join a team dedicated to building the core control infrastructure that enables everything from basic hardware diagnostics to complex, AI-driven behaviors.

In this role, you aren’t just writing code for a lab experiment; you are building the foundation that allows a fleet of humanoids to operate at scale. You will be hands-on with the hardware, debugging failures in real-time, and using agentic coding tools to accelerate how we write code and analyze robot data.

Mentorship & Growth:

At Boston Dynamics, we believe the best way to learn is by doing, supported by the best in the field. As an entry-level engineer, you will:

• Work Alongside Experts: Partner with world-class roboticists who have spent decades pushing the boundaries of what machines can do.

• Direct Ownership: You won’t just be a "cog in the machine." You will own critical features and infrastructure projects from design to deployment on the robot.

• Structured Development: Benefit from a culture that prioritizes code reviews, technical deep-dives, and cross-functional exposure to hardware, perception, and learning teams.

What You'll Do:

• Drive Reliability: Contribute to the "uptime" of the world’s most advanced humanoid by building automated health-checks and instrumentation into the control stack.

• Write Production Code: Design and implement real-time software in C++ that runs directly on Atlas hardware.

• Close the Loop: Build the software pipelines that allow the robot to identify, report, and gracefully respond to hardware or software faults.

• Hardware Debugging: Take a "first-principles" approach to debugging, using data logs to perform failure analysis.

Who You Are:

• Hardware Enthusiast: You have a genuine passion for physical systems. You’ve worked on a real robot (academic, professional, or personal) and love the challenge of making code move real robots.

• Software-Minded: You understand that great robotics requires great software. You care about clean code, unit testing, and building tools that make the whole team faster.

• Balanced Generalist: You have a solid grasp of classical control (SISO, PD controllers, Bode plots) and are highly comfortable in a Linux environment.

• Curious & Adaptable: You are excited to learn new skills on the fly, whether it's a new physics simulator or an AI tool that helps you write better C++.

Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Robotics, Computer Science, ME/EE (or related) with 1–2 years of experience (including internships), OR a recently completed Master’s degree.

• Software Skills: Proficiency in C++ and Python. Experience with version control (git) and writing tests for your code.

• Controls Foundations: A solid understanding of classical control theory (SISO).

• Hands-on Experience: Proven experience debugging and "getting your hands dirty" with real-world electromechanical systems.

• Onsite Presence: Ability to work onsite at our Waltham, MA facility for direct interaction with the Atlas fleet.

Nice to Have:

• Experience with physics simulators (e.g., MuJoCo, Gazebo, or Isaac Sim).

• Exposure to automated data pipelines or CI/CD for robotics.

• A portfolio of personal or academic robotics projects that demonstrate experience.

We are interested in all qualified candidates eligible to work in the United States. However, we are not able to sponsor visas for this position.

The base pay range for this position is between $110,000 to $145,000.00 annually. Base pay will depend on multiple individualized factors, including, but not limited to, internal equity, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.  This range represents a good-faith estimate of compensation at the time of posting. Boston Dynamics offers a generous Benefits package including medical, dental, vision, 401(k), paid time off, and an annual bonus structure.  Additional details regarding these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer for employment.