Senior Controls Engineer

Want to become an innovator?

Join us at the forefront of the robotics industry, developing and deploying a new generation of drones capable of physical interaction with the world - which makes them actual flying robots.

Spun off from the world-renowned Autonomous Systems Lab of ETH Zurich in 2019, Voliro was awarded the Top ​​Swiss Robotics Startup 2022 and named one of the Top 10 most innovative companies in robotics 2023 worldwide. In 2024, we won the Swiss Economic Award in the category "Deeptech/Life Sciences".

After releasing our first generation product in September 2022, we have proved product-market fit in early 2023. Now, our next mission is to scale the business and create an unmatched customer experience around the core product.

Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, our growth markets are in North America as well as Europe. Our office in Houston amplifies sales and customer support in North America.

Senior Controls Engineer

Earliest start date: ASAP

Location: Zurich
[100%]

Your role

Are you passionate about controlling dynamic, overactuated systems? Do you get excited about applying control theory to real-world robots? At Voliro, we are building aerial robots that interact physically with the environment—and we’re looking for a Senior Controls Engineer to own the algorithms that make this possible.
You will take full ownership of our drone’s control architecture, from low-level stabilizers to high-level motion planning. You’ll improve our existing control stack and explore novel strategies like reinforcement learning (RL). Your work will translate directly into better flight performance, reliability, and interaction capabilities in the field.
This is a rare opportunity to develop and deploy cutting-edge control strategies on a real, flying robot used by customers worldwide.

What You’ll Do

• Own the development, implementation, and tuning of control algorithms for our aerial robotics platform.


• Improve and maintain traditional control strategies and integrate advanced and learned controllers.


• Set up, improve, and work closely with simulation environments and flight test infrastructure to iterate rapidly and safely.


• Perform system identification and modeling of drone dynamics, actuators, and environmental interactions.


• Collaborate with the perception and software teams to ensure seamless integration of control, planning, and sensor data.


• Conduct real-world testing and flight experiments, with a strong focus on robustness and safety.


• Stay on top of academic and industrial advances in control and bring novel techniques to the platform.


• Mentor junior team members and contribute to a strong culture of technical excellence.
  

What We’re Looking For

• Degree in Robotics, Control Engineering, Aerospace, or related field; MSc or PhD preferred.


• Proven track record of deploying control algorithms on real-world systems (e.g., drones, robotic arms, autonomous vehicles).


• Strong theoretical background in classical and modern control (e.g., LQR, MPC, INDI).


• Proficient in C++ and Python for real-time and experimental implementation.


• Skilled in system modeling, parameter identification, and optimization techniques.


• Analytical and pragmatic—able to navigate between theory and practical implementation.


• Passion for field robotics and a hands-on mindset.


• Excellent communication skills and a collaborative spirit.


• Fluency in English (spoken and written).
  

Bonus Points

• Experience with reinforcement learning and data-driven control in simulation or real systems.


• Familiarity with drone flight stacks (e.g., PX4, ArduPilot) or custom-built controllers.


• Knowledge of motion planning, estimation, and sensor fusion.


• Comfort working with hardware-in-the-loop and embedded systems.


• Publications in top robotics/control conferences or journals.
  

Benefits

Voliro is an opportunity for you to join a team at the forefront of the robotics industry, a team of pioneers and enthusiasts. You will leverage your experience in a dynamic and multidisciplinary working environment and grow together with Voliro. Innovation is our driver and customer excellence is our mission. We cultivate a transparent, motivating, and progressive company culture. You will get 25 vacation days per year, flexible work hours, and unlimited amounts of high-quality espresso.

Your application

We are looking forward to receiving your application!

Please note that we are considering complete applications submitted to https://voliroar.bamboohr.com/careers. Please clearly state your residency/working status for Switzerland in your application. We are unable to support work permit applications for non-EU/EFTA nationals without an existing Swiss work permit.

If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out to us via [email protected].