Controls & Systems-Design Consultant
$364,000–$468,000 year
HybridEmeryville, California, United States
Job Summary
Define control-system requirements and constraints for the DNA Origami actuator–sensor system, including sensor bandwidth, noise floor, and latency, feeding these into device-physics and molecular-design decisions early. Review field-effect (FET) position-sensor and electrostatic drive-stack designs through a controls lens to flag stabilization risks. Specify experimental logging needs for ensemble and single-molecule data to support system identification and ML modeling. Sketch the closed-loop control architecture and simulation/estimation plan for feedback stabilization and observers. Provide a clean, documented handoff to the incoming full-time Controls engineer. This early, fractional engagement sets closed-loop constraints during months when device choices are locked, reporting to Dr. Jeremy Barton at Astera Institute.
Required Qualifications
- PhD or MS (or equivalent industry depth) in controls, robotics, electrical engineering, or a related field
- hands-on closed-loop control-system design
- Track record translating plant and sensor characteristics into design constraints
- experience with noisy, nanoscale, or precision-instrumentation systems
- Strength in system identification and estimation (Kalman filters / observers)
- ability to specify data capture for later modeling
- Comfort advising a physics and wet-lab team fractionally
- occasional on-site collaboration in Emeryville
Desired Qualifications
- experience with DNA-origami actuator–sensor systems
- experience with field-effect (FET) position-sensor and electrostatic drive-stack designs
- experience with feedback stabilization, averaging, and observers
- experience with ML modeling of device response
- experience with closed-loop control architecture and simulation/estimation plans
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