About the Role:You'll be Albedo's primary motor-controls specialist, owning the derivation and tuning of control algorithms for BLDC- and stepper-driven mechanisms across our spacecraft. This is a controls-first role: you will develop motor control algorithms from the ground up and tune the motor controller we select / develop internally, working shoulder-to-shoulder with mechanisms, electrical, firmware, and GN&C engineers to take our actuators from bench to flight.
Your work connects directly to the performance of our vehicles. You'll design with the mission in mind - translating motion at the actuator into performance capability on orbit - so the control you build is measured by what it lets the spacecraft do.
What You'll Do:- Derive, implement, and tune control algorithms for BLDC/PMSM and stepper-driven mechanisms: current/torque, velocity, and position loops, from first principles.
- Own commutation and field-oriented control (FOC): feedback selection, discrete-time control design, loop stability, and tuning across the full operating envelope.
- Tune and validate our internally developed motor controller against performance, thermal, and reliability requirements.
- Evaluate alternative control strategies and quantify the performance / cost / reliability trade-offs.
- Design and run instrumented bench experiments and automated tests; characterize motors and drives from motion and current data.
- Diagnose cross-domain issues, resonance, lost motion, feedback errors, overheating, faults - across the mechanical, electrical, and firmware boundary.
- Build calibration tooling, telemetry, fault handling, and documentation the rest of the team can rely on.
What We're Looking For:- Proven ability to develop motor control algorithms from scratch, not just integrate or tune existing drives. This is the core of the role.
- Strong controls fundamentals: motor physics, commutation and FOC, feedback selection, discrete-time control, loop stability, and tuning.
- Demonstrated ability to achieve smooth motion at low and near-zero speeds for low-disturbance precision operation.
- Experience across BLDC/PMSM and stepper motor topologies.
- Experience across the full range of position/feedback sensing, from sensorless through Hall, resolvers, and incremental/absolute encoders.
- An experimental, data-driven approach using motion data, analysis tools, and oscilloscopes.
- Independent engineering judgment and clear communication across disciplines.
Nice to Have:- Embedded C/C++ and the ability to debug motor-control firmware and hardware (PWM/ADC timing, current sensing, encoder/resolver interfaces).
- Experience designing custom motor-control electronics / servo-drive hardware, power stages, gate drives, and controller boards.
- Familiarity with RS422 and other serial/command and differential-signaling interfaces.
- Regenerative-energy management and EMC troubleshooting.
- Aerospace, robotics, or other high-reliability electromechanical product experience.
Salary Range:- $170,000 - $188,348 per year
Compensation and Benefits for Full-Time Roles:- Employee friendly equity compensation
- 4% direct matching 401k
- Health Insurance: 100% employee coverage & 75% dependent coverage
- Parental leave and childcare coverage
- Flexible vacation and sick time from day one
- 12 company holidays
- $100 monthly wellness benefit
- Relocation package if not based in Denver
The final compensation package is subject to change if the candidate's experience and company need drive a different job level than originally slated for the position.
Relocation: Relocation support for this position is available
Applicants must be a
U.S. Person as defined under 22 CFR 120.62
#LI-Onsite
Research shows that while men apply to jobs where they meet an average of 60% of the criteria, women and other underrepresented people tend to only apply when they meet 100% of the qualifications. At Albedo, we'd rather hear from you. We care more about how you think than which boxes you check. We value people who do the math, make their assumptions explicit, and ask the annoying questions: what breaks, what's the failure mode, what has to be true for this to work? If that sounds like you, apply, even if you don't meet every line.
