Senior/Staff Robotics and Controls Engineer

Open Position – Senior/Staff Robotics and Controls Engineer

Horizon Surgical Systems Inc.

Horizon Surgical Systems Inc. is revolutionizing the world of surgical ophthalmology by developing a novel, AI driven, and imaging-guided surgical robotic system. Horizon Surgical Systems Inc. aims to expand access to care, provide superior capabilities to the human surgeon, and enhance patient outcomes. Microsurgery in general and Ophthalmology are subfields of surgery for which the surgical outcomes can be significantly improved by robotic systems to allow superior dexterity, precision, accuracy, and visualization beyond the human surgeon’s own capabilities.

We are seeking highly motivated, and intellectually inquisitive individuals looking to make a positive impact on healthcare via the development of robotic technology. The core values of Horizon Surgical Systems Inc. are:

• Commitment to Excellence: We aim to deliver superior patient outcomes and surgeon experiences
• Passion for Creativity and Innovation: We are driven by new ideas and aim to push the boundaries of what's possible
• Teamwork and Camaraderie: We achieve our best when we collaborate and work together
• Welcoming of Critical Opinion: We are enriched by constructive criticism and support the best ideas
• Personal Accountability: We honor our commitments and take responsibility for our actions

Horizon Surgical Systems Inc. offers:

• An opportunity to build autonomous surgical robotic systems driven by image guidance and AI technology for the future of affordable, high-quality healthcare.
• The opportunity to work alongside clinicians, engineers, and global leaders in cutting-edge AI, imaging, and robotics technology.
• Competitive compensation and an excellent company-paid benefits package.

Role Description

In your role as a Robotics and Controls Engineer at Horizon Surgical Systems, you will contribute to the safety and accuracy of a cutting-edge surgical robotics system by creating, implementing, and verifying mission-critical control algorithms. As this platform is intended for eye surgery, it is paramount that we consider the surgical environment and its obstacles when developing control algorithms while also ensuring that the system executes as accurately as possible. You will be responsible for supporting features critical to the success of this platform like controls, collision avoidance, and path planning while helping to improve system accuracy. The ideal applicant will have a strong background in robot kinematics and dynamics, controls/estimation, nonlinear optimization, and algorithm development. 

Required Qualifications & Abilities: 

Educational Background:

• Master’s or Ph.D. degree in Robotics, Mechanical/Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.

Technical Skills:

• Experience developing robotics software on physical hardware.
• Deep understanding of rigid body dynamics and kinematic chains (ideally for robotic arms).
• Experience with collision-aware trajectory generation algorithms or constrained nonlinear optimization controllers. 
• Demonstrated history of documenting code and authoring unit tests.
• Strong proficiency in modern C++ (at least C++11) is a must.
• Knowledge of ROS2 framework.

Experience:

• 3+ years (or 1+ w/ PhD) of robotic algorithm development and deployment on physical hardware.
• 3+ years (or 1+ w/ PhD) of modern C++ software development.
• Prior experience with path planning algorithms.
• Prior experience with medical device development is a plus.
• Prior experience with Python is useful.

Knowledge:

• Understanding of linear algebra and related techniques for solving both linear and nonlinear problems.
• Familiarity with task space control paradigms (e.g., impedance, admittance, teleoperation, etc).
• Knowledge of modern approaches to filtering signals and states (e.g., Kalman, particle, etc.).
• Experience developing in parallel using simulation environments is a plus.

Soft Skills:

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational abilities.
• Good communication skills to collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, including software engineers, electrical/mechanical engineers, and product managers.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic work environment and adapt to new challenges.

Other Requirements:

• Comfortable working in a lab or workshop environment alongside surgical robotic systems.
• Ability to work on-site for hands-on software integration.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a high-tech startup that is poised to revolutionize surgical robotics in ophthalmology.