Electromechanical Controls Engineer (Electric Motor Specialist)

Job Summary 

The Vehicle Systems Division (VSD) sits at the center of the ideas and data behind current and future systems supplying innovative research and development; technical evaluations during the acquisition process; conceptual and detailed design; assembly, integration, and test; and operational support. Comprised primarily of highly-trained mechanical and aerospace engineers, VSD provides national expertise in the areas of vehicle engineering; guidance, navigation, and controls; robotics; electro-mechanical devices; embedded systems; fluid mechanics; propulsion; thermal control; orbital mechanics; mechanisms; structures; structural dynamics; and dynamic environments.   

The Electromechanical Control Department (ECD) provides technical support for control hardware used on spacecraft and launch vehicles, as well as terrestrial and aerial applications. We specialize in mission critical control sensors and actuators, including electric motors, gyroscopes and IMUs, accelerometers, gimbals, steering mirrors, encoders and resolvers, star trackers, GPS receivers, capacitive and inductive sensors, servo mechanisms, thrust vector control actuators, and reaction wheels.   

As an  Electromechanical Controls Engineer (Engineering Specialist – Guidance, Navigation & Control Engineering) in ECD, you will plan and conduct technical studies, experimental investigations, and verification activities to support customer programs, while interacting with government customers, program management, and contractors. 

Work Model

This position will be a hybrid work model and offer partially remote with some onsite work required in El Segundo, CA, as business needs allow. 

What You’ll Be Doing 

• Conduct technical studies involving the testing, evaluation, analysis, or simulation of control hardware components 

• Supervise and support experimental investigations in the Mechatronics Research Laboratory (managed by ECD) and/or other Aerospace labs including control sensor and actuator performance evaluation, controller design and implementation, and data reduction and visualization associated with the study of key hardware components 

• Interact with government customers, program management, and contractors supporting multiple programs. Clearly communicate the results of studies while working with both internal and external customers and stakeholders as a technical authority, consultant, primary investigator, or project leader 

What You Need to be Successful – Engineering Specialist – Guidance, Navigation & Control Engineering 

Minimum Requirements: 

• Bachelor's degree in a STEM field is required 

• Eight (8) years of applicable professional or educational experience is required 

• Expertise with laboratory experimentation, test strategy development, experiment design, and integration and testing 

• A strong working knowledge of electronics, mechanical design, control systems, inertial sensors, and actuators applicable to spacecraft and/or launch vehicles 

• Experience performing technical support in complex environments (multi-program, multi-agency) involving customers, program offices, engineering support, and contractors  

• Strong people skills including: coaching, mentoring, training, motivating, directing employees to optimize workplace productivity and to promote professional growth 

• Proficiency with tools such as MATLAB/Simulink, dSPACE, LabVIEW, SolidWorks, C/C++, Python 

• Willingness to occasionally travel and support customer needs, approximately 10% (as required)

• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government-issued security clearance; U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance 

How You Can Stand Out  

It would be impressive if you have one or more of these: 

• Advanced degree in a STEM field or equivalent is preferred 

• Expertise in electric motors: electric motors and drive electronics, specifically brushless direct-current electric (BLDC) motors, servo and stepper motors, direct drive and geared, servo control; have design, modeling, simulation, and test experience with motors, actuators, and electromagnetic design/analysis software 

• Demonstrated ability to provide innovative solutions to challenging technical problems 

• Demonstrated experience mentoring and building a product team that maintains working relationships with all levels of customer, corporate staff, and contractors 

• Experience identifying new business opportunities and bringing tasks and projects from internal and external sources to your team 

• An active Secret clearance with the ability to obtain a U.S. government-issued TS/SCI security clearance, is highly preferable. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance