Mechatronics Engineer

Location: Sunnyvale

Department: Software Systems

About Noble Machines

Noble Machines (formerly Under Control Robotics) builds multipurpose robots to support human workers in the world's toughest jobs—turning dangerous work from a necessity into a choice. Our work demands reliability, robustness, and readiness for the unexpected—on time, every time. We're assembling a mission-driven team focused on delivering real impact in heavy industry, from construction and mining to energy. If you're driven to build rugged, reliable products that solve real-world problems, we'd love to talk.

Position Overview

At Noble Machines, building is a team sport. As a Mechatronics Engineer, you’ll take ownership of the low-level control stack that powers our multipurpose humanoid robots. You’ll design, implement, and optimize real-time motor control and fieldbus communication systems—with a strong focus on EtherCAT driver development and deterministic distributed control.

This role sits at the intersection of hardware and software. You’ll work closely with controls, embedded, and mechanical teams to ensure robust, high-performance actuation and sensing across complex multi-joint robotic systems operating in demanding industrial environments.

Responsibilities

Design, implement, and maintain EtherCAT master and slave drivers for distributed robotic systems
Develop real-time motor control software for multi-axis actuation systems
Integrate servo drives, motor controllers, encoders, IMUs, force/torque sensors, and other field devices
Implement deterministic communication pipelines with strict timing constraints
Optimize control loop performance (current, torque, velocity, and position loops)
Develop and debug CAN, SPI, UART, and other industrial communication protocols as needed
Collaborate with controls engineers to implement advanced control strategies
Build tooling for diagnostics, logging, and fault detection across the actuator network
Support hardware bring-up, system integration, and field debugging
Develop safety mechanisms and fault recovery systems for high-power robotic platforms
Contribute to PCB bring-up and embedded firmware validation when required
Document system architecture, timing constraints, and integration processes

Requirements

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechatronics, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or related field
3+ years of experience in embedded systems or mechatronics engineering
Strong experience with EtherCAT (CiA 402, distributed clocks, PDO/SDO configuration)
Experience developing real-time systems (RT Linux, PREEMPT_RT, Xenomai, or similar)
Strong C/C++ programming skills for low-level system development
Experience with servo drives and motor control (FOC, BLDC, PMSM, etc.)
Understanding of control theory (PID, cascaded control loops, system identification)
Experience working with oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and hardware debugging tools
Familiarity with industrial communication protocols (CAN, SPI, I2C, UART)
Understanding of power electronics fundamentals and actuator systems
Experience integrating multi-axis robotic systems

Nice to Have

Experience developing or modifying EtherCAT master stacks
Familiarity with SOEM, IgH EtherCAT Master, or commercial EtherCAT stacks
Experience with safety-rated motion systems
Background in humanoid robots or high-DOF robotic systems
Experience with FPGA-based motor control or real-time acceleration
Familiarity with ROS / ROS2 integration with real-time control layers
Experience designing custom motor controllers or embedded boards
Knowledge of EMI/EMC considerations in high-power robotic systems
Experience working in industrial environments (construction, mining, energy, manufacturing)
Understanding of functional safety standards

To apply, submit your resume here or email [email protected]. To increase your chances of being selected for an interview, we encourage you to include up to TWO examples of your most representative work featuring hardware demonstrations, real-time control systems, or distributed actuator networks.