Controls Engineer, AV

We help make autonomous technologies more efficient, safer, and accessible. 

Helm.ai builds AI software for autonomous driving and robotics. Our Deep Teaching™ methodology is uniquely data and capital efficient, allowing us to surpass traditional approaches. Our unsupervised learning software can train neural networks without the need for human annotation or simulation and is hardware-agnostic. We work with some of the world's largest automotive manufacturers and we've raised over $100M from Honda, Goodyear Ventures, Mando, and others to help us scale.

Our team is made up of people with a diverse set of experiences in software and academia. We work together towards one common goal: to integrate the software you'll help us build into hundreds of millions of vehicles. 

You will:

Join a pioneering team that's redefining autonomous vehicle development through the power of unsupervised learning. At Helm, we've established ourselves as industry leaders by successfully developing OEM-grade perception models using an AI-first approach. Now, we're embarking on an ambitious new chapter: developing a comprehensive ML centric autonomous vehicle stack for urban environments.

As a member of our AV Controls team, you'll be at the center of our autonomous driving initiative—spearheading vehicle control systems while collaborating closely with our perception and planning teams to create a cohesive, state-of-the-art AV stack. While trajectory tracking and execution are core responsibilities, you'll have the opportunity to influence and contribute across the entire autonomous driving pipeline. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of autonomous driving alongside a proven team that combines deep technical expertise with cutting-edge AI methodologies. 

Main Responsibilities:

• Partner with perception and planning teams to architect, build, and test an AI-first autonomous driving platform for urban environments
• Design and implement robust vehicle control systems for trajectory tracking and execution, with a focus on real-time performance and reliability
• Develop and validate vehicle dynamics models through system identification and data analysis, driving continuous improvement in control system performance
• Create and execute comprehensive validation strategies across simulation and real-world testing environments

You have:

• 4+ years of hands-on experience developing vehicle control systems in the autonomous vehicle or ADAS industry
• Demonstrated expertise implementing real-time optimal control strategies (MPC or iLQR) for vehicle trajectory tracking, with proven on-vehicle implementation experience
• Experience addressing real-world controls challenges, including sensor noise, system latencies, and state estimation uncertainty
• Track record of developing and validating vehicle dynamics models through system identification and data-driven approaches
• Strong theoretical foundation in control theory, optimization, and vehicle dynamics, with practical application experience

• Competitive health insurance options
• 401K plan management
• Remote-friendly and flexible team culture
• Free lunch and fully-stocked kitchen in our South Bay office
• Additional perks: monthly wellness stipend, office set up allowance, company retreats, and more to come as we scale
• The opportunity to work on one of the most interesting, impactful problems of the decade