R&D Controls Engineer

About the role

We are seeking a driven and curious R&D Controls Engineer to join our team developing next-generation metal additive manufacturing systems, including Liquid Metal Jetting (LMJ) and Laser-Assisted Directed Energy Deposition (DED) 3D printers.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and tune closed-loop control systems for real-time thermal management during metal additive manufacturing.
• Develop PLC logic and CNC synchronized actions for coordinating printing.
• Implement PID and advanced control strategies (feedforward, adaptive gain scheduling).
• Arcitect and configure CNC/PLC analog and digital I/O for integrating sensors (pyrometers, thermocouples) and actuators (laser power supplies, shutters, micro-motor pyrometer steering).
• Develop and validate control algorithms that adapt to varying print speeds, toolpath geometries, and thermal conditions.
• Develop advanced waveform generation for electromagnetic coil drivers — including sub-thresholding pulse patterns, variable pulse widths, and complex frequency profiles using the Prio card or equivalent hardware.
• Serve as the internal bridge to automation integrators and Siemens support for CNC/PLC platform issues.
• Instrument and characterize system dynamics — measure plant transfer functions, identify thermal time constants, and size controller bandwidth accordingly.
• Support machine commissioning, integration testing, and design-of-experiments for process development.
• Maintain rigorous documentation of control architectures, tuning parameters, commissioning procedures, and test results.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Controls Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, or Mechanical Engineering with controls focus (or equivalent demonstrated experience)
• 2+ years of experience designing and implementing closed-loop control systems in industrial or R&D environments
• Strong foundation in classical control theory: PID tuning, stability analysis, frequency response, and system identification
• Hands-on PLC programming experience (Siemens, Beckhoff, Allen-Bradley, or similar industrial automation platforms)
• Experience with real-time sensor integration (pyrometers, thermocouples, photodiodes, or similar high-speed analog instrumentation)
• Experience configuring and commissioning industrial motion control systems (multi-axis CNC, servo drives, or motion controllers)
• Ability to read, develop, and troubleshoot electrical schematics and control panel wiring
• Proficiency with at least one industrial communication protocol (EtherCAT, PROFINET, Ethernet/IP)

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Siemens Sinumerik CNC systems — synchronized actions ($A_INA, $A_OUTA, WHENEVER/DO), structured text, machine data configuration
• Experience with Beckhoff TwinCAT or similar real-time platforms
• Familiarity with laser systems — power modulation, analog control interfaces, safety interlocks
• Experience with non-contact temperature measurement (pyrometry) including spectral filtering and emissivity considerations
• Background in thermal process control (welding, heat treatment, laser processing, or additive manufacturing)
• Knowledge of advanced control methods: feedforward compensation, Smith predictors for transport delay, gain scheduling, or model-predictive control
• Electronics design experience — particularly H-bridge circuits, high-current motor drivers, or power electronics
• FPGA or microcontroller programming for custom waveform generation or high-speed signal processing
• Experience with machine safety systems (STO, SS1, SLS) and relevant standards (IEC 62443, ISO 13849)

Mindset & Attributes (What Matters Most)

• Curious and self-motivated— the kind of engineer who hangs around, asks questions, and tries to figure things out without being told. This is the #1 trait we're looking for
• Strong analytical and problem-solving mindset — able to diagnose issues across mechanical, electrical, thermal, and software domains simultaneously
• Self-directed and resourceful in an R&D environment where requirements evolve and solutions aren't predefined
• Comfortable iterating rapidly: prototype control logic, test on hardware, analyze data, refine
• Clear communicator who can explain control system behavior to mechanical engineers, process engineers, and leadership
• Collaborative and low-ego — willing to support builds, run experiments, and do hands-on work alongside design work
• Comfortable working with external vendors and automation integrators as technical counterpart
• Detail-oriented with a systems-level perspective — understands how a control loop interacts with toolpath planning, thermal physics, and part quality

What We Offer

• Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package
• Opportunity to work on cutting-edge metal additive manufacturing technology at the frontier of closed-loop process control
• Direct impact on product development — your control systems directly determine print quality and material properties
• A collaborative, low-ego team environment focused on innovation and execution
• Exposure to multidisciplinary challenges spanning controls, laser physics, materials science, and CNC systems
• A culture that values curiosity, initiative, and continuous improvement