Senior Controls Engineer - Turbomachinery & Power Systems

Senior Controls Engineer - Own the controls architecture for next-generation power systems Hawthorne, CA | On-site Opportunity Summary Join a well-funded seed-stage energy hardware startup developing compact, modular power generation systems for rapidly growing electricity demand. The company has strong customer traction, hardware actively being built and tested, and a platform designed to generate power using multiple conventional and next-generation heat sources. As a Senior Controls Engineer, you will own the controls architecture, real-time software, protection logic, and operational data acquisition for a megawatt-scale power system. You will develop how the system starts, operates, responds to changing conditions, protects itself during faults, and safely shuts down. This is a hands-on role spanning controls development, hardware integration, simulation, commissioning, and testing. About Us We are a well-capitalized, venture-backed energy startup building a new generation of compact power conversion hardware. Our technology is designed to pair with multiple heat sources, supporting near-term power generation as well as future nuclear and renewable energy applications. With experienced turbomachinery engineers, customer demand, and initial hardware moving through build and test, the team is transitioning quickly from development into full-scale system demonstration and deployment. Job Duties Own the controls architecture for a megawatt-scale power generation system, including controllers, I/O, sensors, actuators, safety systems, and softwareDevelop closed-loop controls governing startup, normal operation, transient conditions, and shutdownDesign machine protection and automated trip logic for conditions such as overspeed, unstable operation, loss of load, sensor failures, and other system faultsWrite, integrate, and debug real-time control software for complex physical hardwareDevelop bench and hardware-in-the-loop test environments to validate control logic before operating full-scale equipmentOwn operational instrumentation and data acquisition, including sensor selection, signal conditioning, sampling requirements, logging, and system telemetryIntegrate drives, valves, sensors, actuators, and other hardware using industrial and real-time communication networksWork closely with mechanical, electrical, thermofluids, turbomachinery, and test engineers to integrate controls across the full systemSupport hardware bring-up, commissioning, test campaigns, controls tuning, and troubleshooting directly on the equipmentAnalyze system data, identify unexpected behavior, and rapidly iterate on software and control strategiesHelp establish a controls architecture that can mature from development hardware into repeatable field-deployed systems Qualifications Bachelor's degree or higher in Controls Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related disciplineExperience developing real-time controls for complex physical hardware using PLCs, cRIO/PXI systems, industrial controllers, or comparable platformsStrong understanding of closed-loop controls, control-system architecture, state-based sequencing, and machine protectionAbility to personally write, integrate, and debug control software using LabVIEW, Python, C/C++, or similar languages and environmentsHands-on experience with sensors, instrumentation, signal conditioning, data acquisition, and hardware interfacesWorking knowledge of thermal-fluid systems, rotating equipment, turbomachinery, or similarly complex electromechanical systemsExperience troubleshooting systems where software, electrical hardware, sensors, actuators, and mechanical hardware interactAbility to operate effectively in a fast-moving engineering environment with significant individual ownership Preferred Experience Controls development for turbomachinery, rotating machinery, power generation equipment, propulsion systems, or other high-energy hardwareExperience with industrial communication protocols such as CAN, EtherCAT, Modbus, or similar networksHardware-in-the-loop testing and plant or system simulationSafety-critical controls, fault management, interlocks, or functional safety practicesExperience developing controls for high-pressure, high-temperature, or high-speed rotating systemsBuilding instrumentation and DAQ architectures for new hardware or test systemsCommissioning and tuning complex hardware in a laboratory, test facility, or field environmentExperience taking a controls system from early prototype through integrated hardware testingEarly-stage startup or rapid hardware development experience Why Join Us Join a well-funded seed-stage company with active customer traction and hardware already moving through build and testTake end-to-end ownership of the controls system for a new power generation platformWork directly with a highly technical team across controls, turbomachinery, thermofluids, electrical systems, mechanical design, and testingHelp develop technology capable of generating power from multiple heat sources across both current and emerging energy marketsMeaningful equity ownershipCompany-paid medical, dental, and vision insuranceFully stocked kitchen with snacks, coffee, and lunch Compensation Details $180,000 - $220,000