Senior Embedded Software Engineer I, Robotic Controls

Austin, Texas, United States

ICON is looking for an Senior Embedded Software Engineer to join our Software Products team in Austin, TX. In this hands-on role, you will develop and maintain control software for our production fleet and our space-based robotic systems. You will contribute in all aspects of the software development lifecycle as part of a growing, fast-paced team, with a focus on high-performance systems, including dynamic stabilization and real-time control. This role will be based at our Austin, TX headquarters and will report to ICON’s VP, Software Products.

 

RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Design and develop controls architecture with a combination of hard and soft real-time requirements
  • Develop robust communication protocols between supervisory and real-time systems
  • Program and debug control logic in a variety of languages (e.g. C/C++, Matlab, TwinCAT)
  • Create modular, object-oriented code that adheres to established coding standards, design patterns, and documentation practices
  • Lead system integration and validation efforts across hardware and software
  • Develop and maintain simulated environments and automated test frameworks to support continuous integration and system verification
  • Support electromechanical hardware systems both remotely and on-site, ensuring safe, reliable operation
  • Participate in architecture decisions for controls and electrical systems, including component selection and standardization
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams and customers to ensure alignment across system interfaces
  • Participate in design & code reviews to maintain consistency and high-quality output
  • Develop and implement real-time control algorithms for dynamic stabilization, vibration mitigation, and high-speed feedback control
  • Design and optimize sensor fusion and state estimation algorithms using IMUs, LiDAR, and other real-time sensing systems
  • Act as a subject matter expert on system stabilization in non-linear, high-speed robotic applications
  • Conduct simulations, system-level testing, and prototype development to enhance stability and real-world responsiveness

 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

  • Bachelor's degree in an engineering-related field. 
  • 8+ years of experience in controls engineering, robotics, electrical engineering, or a related field.
  • Strong understanding of real-time state estimation / sensor fusion algorithms (e.g., Kalman Filter, Extended Kalman Filter, Particle Filters) for dynamic systems with focus on position estimation from sensors at different sampling frequencies.
  • Expertise in vibration analysis, non-linear dynamics, and stabilization of high-speed systems.
  • Advanced programming skills in C/C++ with a focus on deterministic real-time control.
  • Strong knowledge of linear algebra, stochastic modeling, and numerical methods, with experience implementing these in languages like C/C++.
  • Experience selecting, integrating, and tuning sensors such as IMUs, accelerometers, and gyros for stabilization systems.

 

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

  • Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in controls engineering, robotics, or related fields.
  • Demonstrated success in shipping control systems designed for high-speed stabilization in dynamic environments.
  • Practical experience with numerical stability analysis and ensuring robust algorithm performance in non-linear systems.
  • Experience with modern compiled languages such as C++, Rust, or other systems-level programming tools.
  • Familiarity with simulation tools and frameworks for system validation (e.g., MATLAB/Simulink).
  • System architecture experience, particularly for embedded real-time systems.




 
ICON is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an innovative, inclusive, diverse and discrimination-free work environment. Employment with ICON is based on merit, competence, and qualifications. It is our policy to administer all personnel actions, including recruiting, hiring, training, and promoting employees, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin or ancestry, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other legally protected classification in accordance with applicable federal and state laws. Consistent with the obligations of these laws, ICON will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.

Furthermore, as a federal government contractor, the Company maintains an affirmative action program which furthers its commitment and complies with recordkeeping and reporting requirements under certain federal civil rights laws and regulations, including Executive Order 11246, Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (as amended) and the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (as amended).

Headhunters and recruitment agencies may not submit candidates through this application. ICON does not accept unsolicited headhunter and agency submissions for candidates and will not pay fees to any third-party agency without a prior agreement with ICON.

As part of our compliance with these obligations, the Company invites you to voluntarily self-identify as set forth below. Provision of such information is entirely voluntary and a decision to provide or not provide such information will not have any effect on your employment or subject you to any adverse treatment. Any and all information provided will be considered confidential, will be kept separate from your application and/or personnel file, and will only be used in accordance with applicable laws, orders and regulations, including those that require the information to be summarized and reported to the federal government for civil rights enforcement purposes.

Internet Applicant Employment Notices

Create a Job Alert

Interested in building your career at ICON? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in ICON’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.