Software Engineer - Robotics (Motion) at Allen Control Systems (Austin, TX)
Allen Control Systems· Austin, TX·
Role details
Competitive Salary · Equity · Health Insurance · Dental Insurance · Vision Insurance · Paid Time Off
Allen Control Systems at a glance
Defense-tech startup building Bullfrog, an autonomous robotic weapon station that uses AI and computer vision to shoot down drones at a fraction of the cost of missiles.
ACS builds Bullfrog, an autonomous weapon station that mounts a common service machine gun and adds passive optical sensing, machine-vision tracking, and AI fire control to detect and neutralize hostile drones. A human authorizes every shot. The pitch is battlefield economics: driving the cost-per-kill of a drone down to as low as ten dollars.
$242M raised · latest: Series B · $200M · 2026 · backed by Smash Capital, Craft Ventures, Rally Ventures, Inspired Capital
Summary
Allen Control Systems is seeking a Software Engineer specializing in Robotics to develop real-time control loops and motion tracking for autonomous defense systems. The role involves translating computer vision outputs into precise robot motion, ensuring safety constraints, and optimizing performance under tight rea...
Job description
Company Overview ACS (Allen Control Systems) is a defense technology company building precision robotic systems for the United States and its allies. Founded by two former U.S. Navy electrical engineers with deep experience in robotics and software, ACS brings together AI, computer vision, precision motion, and advanced hardware to solve complex defense challenges across land, air, and maritime environments. Our flagship product, Bullfrog, is an autonomous precision weapon system that transforms existing weapons into highly accurate counter-drone systems — giving warfighters a scalable, cost-effective response to one of the fastest-growing threats on the modern battlefield. Bullfrog is deployed with U.S. forces, and ACS works with organizations throughout the U.S. military and national security community. Following a $200 million Series B at a $2.2 billion valuation, ACS is rapidly expanding manufacturing, accelerating Bullfrog deployments, and developing the next generation of autonomous battlefield systems. This is an opportunity to join a proven, fast-moving team and help scale technology with direct, real-world impact on national security. ACS is headquartered in Austin, Texas, with additional operations in Alexandria, Virginia; Mountain View, California; and Huntsville, Alabama. For more information, visit allencontrolsystems.com.
Position Overview We are seeking a Software Engineer with a speciality in Robotics. In this position you will be responsible for turning computer vision output into precise, safe motion — running real-time control loops, and getting the turret pointed exactly where we want it, when we want it. We’re hiring across multiple experience levels, including:
- Associate Software Engineer.
- Software Engineer.
- Senior Software Engineer.
- Staff Software Engineer.
- Senior Staff Software Engineer.
Your title and level will be determined based on your experience, skills, and the scope of responsibility appropriate for the role. What You'll Do:
- Control robot motion to track drones under tight real-time constraints.
- Develop and tune real-time control loops for accurate, stable pointing.
- Own calibration routines and coordinate-frame transforms across the sensor/actuator chain.
- Define and negotiate a robust software/hardware contract at the actuation handoff, minimizing rework.
- Enforce safety constraints on motion (limits, no-fire zones, fault handling) as a first-class design concern.
What You'll Need:
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.
- Strong proficiency in C++ for real-time/deterministic code; Python for tooling and analysis.
- Solid grounding in linear algebra, kinematics, and coordinate transforms.
- Experience with real-time or low-latency systems and performance optimization.
- Control theory fundamentals (PID and beyond).
You'll Stand Out:
- Robotics frameworks (ROS/ROS 2) and Eigen.
- Advanced control (MPC, LQR, state estimation / Kalman filtering).
- Motor / servo / actuator control and sensor calibration.
- Real-time Linux, deterministic scheduling, or safety-critical systems experience. What We Offer:
- Competitive salary
- ACS Equity Package
- Health, Dental, Vision Insurance
- Paid Time Off
Allen Control Systems is an Equal Opportunity Employer, providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment. Allen Control Systems prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
Why work at Allen Control Systems
- Mission: Directly contribute to protecting soldiers and changing the economics of drone warfare.
- Culture: Described as a remote-friendly organization with a strong engineering focus; HQ in Austin with a satellite office in Alexandria.
- Work Model: Remote core, but many roles require on-site presence in Austin for manufacturing and testing.
- Growth: Hyper-growth stage – employees have significant ownership and impact.
- Tech Stack: State-of-the-art tools: PyTorch, CUDA, Unreal Engine, ROS, Linux, Docker, Git, MLflow, and more.
- Team: High density of talent from SpaceX, Firefly, DoorDash, Lockheed Martin, and Carnegie Mellon.
- Perks: Not publicly detailed; typical for defense startups include competitive compensation, equity, and a chance to work on cutting-edge hardware-software integration.