Job Description
About Elysium Robotics
We are opening a London, UK based office. Elysium Robotics is an early-stage company headquartered in Austin, Texas, developing revolutionary low-cost, highly capable robotic systems with dexterity and natural grace. Our proprietary muscle-like elastic actuator technology addresses a decades-old challenge in robotics, enabling automation for tasks current robots cannot do. These microfiber actuators enable real bio-mimetic design opportunities based on the same muscle fiber actuation principles biology engineers with.
We're building a world-class team of curious, independent, and highly skilled makers tackling ambitious challenges in robotics. If you thrive on solving impossible problems, pushing boundaries, and creating just because you can't not—we should talk. But if this isn't your dream, spare us and yourself.
We are opening a software focused office in London that will support and collaborate with the core team in Austin, TX. This UK based team will be responsible for Robotic System Design, Simulation, Task Control, and Training, along with Lab Data and Analytics Systems.
Role Overview
As a Senior Robotics Controls Engineer, you will define how robotic systems built with our proprietary muscle-like actuators move and interact with the world. You will develop the closed-loop control algorithms and policies that enable robust and reliable capabilities, such as dexterous manipulation or energy efficient locomotion utilizing natural resonance in the elastic actuation system. You will get to design the world's best control architecture for elastic muscle fiber based reciprocal tensile actuation systems. Eventually you will figure out how to control systems with 200k elastic actuators, on scale with the number of human fiber-bundle actuator units.
Key Responsibilities
* Muscle Control: Support the development of closed-loop stiffness control for muscle bundles; use experimental data to identify non-linear behaviors and adapt models to manufacturing variance.
* Bio-inspired Architectures: Design and implement reciprocal elastic muscle control strategies to independently control torque and stiffness across complex robotic systems.
* High-DOF control: Develop control strategies that can scale to hundreds and thousands of elastic actuators.
* Dynamics Controls: Implement algorithms for controlled resonance for rhythmic tasks like walking, hammering, or sawing.
* Maintain Prototypes: Manage prototype hardware for testing. Systems will be created by US team.
* Simulations: Work closely with Simulation and Design Engineers to explore control concepts in simulation platform prior to hardware implementation.
Qualifications
* Deep expertise in Impedance Control, Model Predictive Control (MPC), and ML-based policy learning.
* Experience with Elastic Actuation and active/passive compliance.
* Familiarity with whole-body or multi-contact manipulation strategies.
* Advanced degree (MSc/PhD) in Robotics or related field preferred.
Why Join Elysium Robotics UK?
* High Impact: Help build a new team in the UK from the ground up, supported by the leadership of our US HQ.
* Complex Challenges: Solve deep-tech problems at the frontier of materials science, ML, and robotics.
* Flexibility: We offer a bias towards remote work while maintaining a key hub in the UK's premier tech corridors.
* Elite Talent: Work alongside senior, self-directing engineers in a flat, fast-moving organization.
Location: Initial hires will work from home with the expectation that a central office will be established in the coming months. This office will likely be in Central London or Kings Cross area, and a flexible hybrid schedule of in-person and remote work will be established.
Who We're Looking For
* Science & Engineering: Multidisciplinary engineers with expertise in material sciences, soft robotics, bio-inspired/tendon-driven robots, high-voltage (~1-5 kV) electronics, and first-principles problem solving. You need to code—at least enough to analyze your data. If your peers call you a Jedi, or if you've built your own unique 3D printer or CADed, printed, PCBed, and coded a robot, you're perfect for us. If your expertise is limited to coding PLCs, industrial automation, or ML models, we're not there now.
* Culture Fit: We want self-taught wizards who also learn from others. Are you curious? How do you learn? What makes you lose track of time?
How to Apply (Hint: Impress Us)
* Show Us Your Work - Send at least three outstanding projects that showcase your mastery. Pictures and videos, please.
* Tell Us Why You Built It - What problem were you solving? What did you learn? We admire good ideas executed well and bad ideas executed brilliantly if they pushed boundaries.
* Tell Us What You Did - If it was a team project, clarify your role. Were you the one who lost sleep to make it happen?
* Do Your Research - Read up on what we do, where we are, and how your skills fit. If your email could be sent to any startup, don't send it to us. Be specific about why we need you.
* Skip the Fluff - Show us your work on our field, or articulate why you like our approach. No copy-paste enthusiasm.
* Be Succinct - If you had one sentence or picture to convince us, what would it be? Lead with that. Follow with amazing details if necessary.
* What's Your Favorite Robot? - Real or sci-fi, doesn't matter. Why does it fascinate you?
* Are You Using AI? - How? What excites you? What frustrates you?
What to Send
careers@elysium-robotics.com
* A brief, convincing paragraph or two
* A portfolio or links showcasing your best work
* A short explanation of why you built those projects
* A resume, but your work should speak louder
We don't care where you went to school, but if you have a pedigree brag about yourself. What matters is what you can do and how you think. If you're a diamond in the rough, make us want to reply.
We are an equal opportunity employer. If you require any reasonable adjustments during the application or interview process, please let us know.