Controls & Systems-Design Consultant
About The Position
Astera is a private foundation focused on advancing science and technology towards an abundant future. They believe in the potential of AI and other scientific advancements to accelerate innovation. Astera operates projects like high-velocity startups to achieve ambitious goals and attract top talent. The Astera Institute is seeking a Controls & Systems-Design Consultant to define the control-system architecture and requirements for the Gen-1 DNA-origami electrostatic actuator. This early-stage, fractional engagement involves integrating control system constraints into device physics and molecular design decisions. The consultant will report to Dr. Jeremy Barton, Astera Institute Resident and Project Lead.
Requirements
- PhD or MS (or equivalent industry depth) in controls, robotics, electrical engineering, or a related field.
- Hands-on closed-loop control-system design experience.
- Track record of translating plant and sensor characteristics into design constraints, particularly for noisy, nanoscale, or precision-instrumentation systems.
- Strength in system identification and estimation (Kalman filters / observers).
- Experience specifying data capture for later modeling.
- Comfort advising a physics and wet-lab team fractionally.
- Ability for occasional on-site collaboration in Emeryville.
Responsibilities
- Define control-system requirements and constraints for the DNA Origami actuator–sensor system, including sensor bandwidth, noise floor, latency, actuator drive-signal range and dynamics, and end-to-end observability, and integrate these into device-physics and DNA-origami design decisions.
- Review field-effect (FET) position-sensor and electrostatic drive-stack designs from a controls perspective, identifying challenges for stabilization, identification, or estimation.
- Specify data logging requirements for early ensemble and single-molecule experiments (sampling, excitation, metadata) to ensure data usability for system identification and ML modeling.
- Outline the closed-loop control architecture and a simulation/estimation plan (feedback stabilization, averaging, observers) for the future full-time Controls engineer.
- Provide a clear, documented handoff to the team.
Benefits
- Competitive contract rate, commensurate with experience and scope of work.
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What This Job Offers
Career Level
Mid Level
