Cellula Robotics is an innovative engineering company that specializes in automated and tele-robotic systems, primarily for the offshore and subsea market. Our solutions are designed, built, and tested in-house by a skilled team of engineers, technicians and support staff in Burnaby, British Columbia.

About the role

As a key member of Cellula's engineering team, the Senior Controls Engineer is entrusted with owning complex system designs and developing autonomy to explore the ocean. They excel in generating technical content efficiently, championing organizational processes, and fostering a positive team culture while providing mentorship and oversight to junior engineers. With expertise in systems-level design, analytical proficiency, and a proactive approach to problem-solving, they drive product improvements, ensure quality standards, and serve as a catalyst for innovation and excellence within the engineering team. Typically, 7+ years of relevant experience.

Expectations:

Technical

• Design: Takes ownership of more complex systems and assumes the role of project engineer on major projects.
• Content: Independently generate clear, concise engineering deliverables AND review and approve content from more junior team members.
• Analysis: can independently identify an optimal analytical approach and complete analysis processes for all but the most complex problems. Review and approve analyses conducted by junior team members.
• Requirements: can synthesize requirements and translate into design outputs, and review and approve requirements generated by junior team members.
• Specialization: Serves as a Subject Matter Expert in one or more technical areas.
• Breadth: Demonstrates comfort in independently tackling challenging problems within their area of expertise, while seeking guidance as needed in areas of less competency.

Productivity

• Output: Generates content efficiently and provides guidance to junior team members to improve throughput, elevating overall team performance and productivity.
• Focus: Efficiently manages time and prioritizes tasks in alignment with company goals, juggling multiple projects effectively and providing guidance to junior team members in task prioritization.
• Ownership: Takes ownership of complex tasks without requiring oversight, leading by example, and providing guidance to junior team members.
• Professional development: Actively engages in maintaining professional development plans, upskilling in weaker technical areas, guiding junior team members, and providing informal training.

Organizational Impact

• Process: Acts as a champion for organizational processes, ensuring adherence among junior team members, suggesting improvements, and driving change initiatives with thorough documentation and verification.
• Product: Actively suggests and implements improvements to company products, demonstrating a proactive approach to enhancing product quality and performance.
• Quality: Champions quality processes, follows QMS procedures, recommends and implements improvements, and sets an example for junior team members.
• Health and safety: Adheres to health, safety, and environmental rules and procedures, reporting near misses, and promoting a culture of safety within the team.

Soft Skills

• Communication: Independently generates technical content for various documents and tools, articulating design decisions clearly both verbally and in writing. Approves work from junior team members and provides constructive feedback. Communicates with senior management including progress, issues and recommendations.
• Attitude: Embodies the organization's values and mission, fostering a positive attitude among team members and serving as a role model for junior engineers. Challenges are welcomed and nothing is impossible.
• Teamwork: Collaborates effectively with colleagues, raising and resolving issues or conflicts with senior team members, and facilitating conflict resolution among junior team members.
• Mentorship: Accepts mentorship from senior team members and provides mentorship to juniors, fostering growth and development within the team.

Role specific responsibilities:

• Define robot, computing platform, actuator, sensor, and user interface requirements to support the system-specific CONOPS and its behaviors & performance.
• Design control algorithms and strategies for autonomy, including mission definition & execution, dynamic positioning, planned & reactive maneuvering, obstacle avoidance, and higher level behaviours.
• Define real-time communication content and protocol requirements in challenging throughput environments.
• Analyze control system stability, robustness, and response using mathematical modelling and simulation.
• Implement control algorithms and feedback loops in software & hardware and tuning for optimal performance.
• Conduct control system testing, including simulation-based, hardware in the loop, and field testing (e.g. sea trials).
• Monitor control system performance, tuning parameters, and optimize control strategies based on mission behavior requirements.
• Provide technical support for control system tuning, optimization, and troubleshooting, and assist with mission planning and execution.
• Identify applicable codes and standards and ensure Cellula products are compliant.
• Assist in system assembly, integration, troubleshooting, and testing.
• Provide technical support through all phases of project.
• Create documentation and training material and provide training to Cellula team members and clients.
• Generate & follow safe work practices, and report near misses.
• Mentor and develop more junior engineers.

Required Qualifications, Skills, and Experience

• Degree in related field of engineering.
• Registered P. Eng.
• Minimum 7 years working experience.
• Working experience developing control system algorithms and code in autonomous or tele-robotic applications.
• Functional experience with Simulink in a robotics control application.
• Working experience implementing and tuning closed loop control systems.
• Experience leading teams of four or more highly competent people.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Technical documentation: specifications, requirements, test plans/reports, operator manuals etc.
• Software configuration management.
• Ability to manage multiple complex technical projects simultaneously.
• Proven ability to create design schedules and lead teams to meet deadlines.
• Analytical, thorough, resourceful, and detail oriented.
• Team and customer service-focused.
• Self-motivated, hardworking, flexible.

Desirable Skills & Experience

• Experience in the subsea industry.
• Experience with ROS1 and ROS2.
• Experience with unmanned underwater vehicle system design.
• Experience operating and piloting unmanned underwater vehicles.
• Experience working with subsea sensors such as sonar, cameras, lidar, etc.
• Design of observers and estimators
• Image processing experience
• Machine learning experience
• Robotic systems design experience.
• ISO9001 quality control.

Reports to: Director of Engineering

Position type: Full time

Location: Burnaby, British Columbia