Staff Software Systems Engineer, Motor Controls

Joby Aviation Joby Aviation · Robotics · San Carlos, CA · Software

Joby Aviation is seeking a Staff Software Systems Engineer to focus on motor control systems for their electric-powered, fly-by-wire aircraft. This role involves architecture, design, and implementation of advanced motor control algorithms, fault detection, and system-level optimization using MATLAB Simulink and C/C++. The engineer will collaborate with hardware, mechanical, and flight-testing teams, and will be responsible for testing and tuning systems on dynamometers and aircraft.

What you'd actually do

  1. Sensored and sensorless control of permanent magnet synchronous motors
  2. Advanced inverter pulse-width modulation, position and velocity estimation, current control and efficiency optimization
  3. Develop fault detection, isolation, and reconfiguration logic for safety critical systems
  4. Closed loop position control of simplex and duplex redundant servo actuation systems with redundant position sensors and multi-phase motors controlled from separate inverters
  5. Optimization of motor controls using MATLAB Simulink

Skills

Required

  • B.S degree in Mechanical Engineering or relevant field and 10+ years of related technical experience (including mechanical, electrical, computer and robotics / mechatronics engineering)
  • Experience with actuation systems and/or servo control on safety critical applications
  • Experience developing embedded applications in C/C++, MATLAB Simulink model-based design for controls development
  • Experience with basic electronics debugging tools: oscilloscope, logic analyzer, power analyzer
  • Basic understanding of version control technologies
  • Experience with processor/hardware in the loop (PIL/HIL) verification/debugging
  • Experience creating mathematical models of servo systems for system identification, analyses and simulations
  • Knowledge of electro-mechanical systems focusing on interactions between electrical and mechanical components in servo systems

Nice to have

  • Advanced degree in Mechanical Engineering or relevant field
  • Technical experience with aerospace actuation and controls system development
  • Knowledge of control system design and principles of feedback control including PID control and advanced control techniques and their applications in the servo systems
  • Knowledge of real time bare-metal firmware development
  • Experience with hard, real-time interrupt-driven software development

What the JD emphasized

  • safety critical systems