Senior Motor Controls Engineer

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.