Lead Controls Engineer

Armstrong Fluid Technology

$110K — $130K *
Manufacturing & Automotive
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in electrical, Controls, Mechatronics, or Computer Engineering;
  • Eng designation is required.
  • Minimum 10 years in developing control systems for critical industrial products.
  • Experience with closed-loop control for pumps, valves, or thermal-hydraulic systems.
  • Knowledge of secure device communications and cybersecurity protocols.
  • Experience with engineering change management in product lifecycles.
  • Strong background in critical infrastructure controls, especially HVAC systems.

Responsibilities

  • Design and implement closed-loop control strategies for fluid systems.
  • Architect system control topology for various applications.
  • Design the alarm and event management systems.
  • Integrate secure communications with industry-standard protocols.
  • Optimize control strategies for energy efficiency and performance.
  • Develop reliable control software for mass production.
  • Mentor engineers and establish controls design standards.

Benefits

  • Professional development opportunities.
  • Collaborative work environment with cross-disciplinary teams.
  • Challenging and impactful projects in critical infrastructure.
  • Contribution to sustainable and energy-efficient technology.
  • Potential for leadership roles in future projects.
Full Job Description
In this role, you will design and develop the complete control system at the heart of a next-generation critical infrastructure product - serving one of the fastest-growing and most demanding applications in our industry. The scope spans the full controls stack: closed-loop pressure and temperature control, state management and safety interlocks, alarm and event management, HMI, secure communications, energy-efficient operation, and product cybersecurity.

This is a standardized product development role, not a one-off project role. Our products are manufactured at scale, so control systems must behave consistently across every unit - released as version-controlled software baselines with standard configurations and formal change control. You will help mature products from concept through production, working alongside electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, and embedded software engineers.

Key Accountabilities
  • Controls
    • Design and implement closed-loop control strategies for fluid systems - such as pump/flow control and temperature control
    • Architect system control topology
    • Design the alarm, event, and parameter framework
    • Implement secure communications and integration with building/facility management systems and customer equipment, using standard industrial protocols.
    • Optimize control strategies for energy efficiency and equipment performance
  • Embedded
    • Develop control software as a standard, repeatable product
    • Provide ongoing firmware support as units are deployed in the field.
  • Security
    • Embed cybersecurity best practices into the product, including secure firmware update processes, certificate-based authentication, and alignment with recognized industry security frameworks.
  • HMI
    • Develop an intuitive HMI for commissioning, diagnostics, manual overrides, and standalone operation, with role-based access control.
  • Standardization & Release
    • Mature the design through proof-of-concept, pre-production, and production phases, incorporating lessons learned while protecting the standard architecture.
    • Define controls checkout and factory test procedures so that every production unit is verified consistently.
    • Collaborate with electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, and embedded software teams, and represent controls design in technical reviews.
    • Provide technical leadership, mentor engineers, and set controls design standards


What We're Looking For

Education and Experience
  • Bachelor's degree in electrical, Controls, Mechatronics, or Computer Engineering;
  • Eng designation is required.
  • Minimum 10 years of experience developing control systems for industrial or mission-critical products (thermal, hydraulic, or rotating equipment)
  • Proven experience designing and tuning closed-loop control for pumps, valves, or thermal-hydraulic systems
  • Experience implementing secure device communications and embedded product cybersecurity practices.
  • Demonstrated experience with engineering change management, BOM and drawing release, and configuration control within a formal product development lifecycle.
  • Critical infrastructure, mission-critical, or HVAC controls product experience - including chillers, heat pumps, boilers, or variable-speed pumping - is a strong asset

Technical Skills
  • Controls
    • Closed-loop control design and tuning for pressure, flow, and temperature
    • Sequences of operation for HVAC systems, including ASHRAE Guideline 36
    • Model-based control design and simulation (MATLAB/Simulink)
    • Redundant sensor handling and fault management
  • Embedded
    • Embedded controller and PLC development
    • Embedded programming in C/C++ and IEC 61131-3
    • Firmware lifecycle: version control, upgrade procedures, and compatibility matrices
  • HMI
    • HMI design and development for commissioning, diagnostics, and operation
  • Communications & Security
    • Secure device communications and integration using standard building/industrial protocols (BACnet, Modbus, MQTT)
    • Alignment with recognized cybersecurity standards, including IEC 62443
    • Event logging, telemetry, and remote diagnostics design
  • Standards & Verification
    • HVAC energy and efficiency standards, including ASHRAE 90.1
    • Product safety and regulatory compliance (UL/CSA 60730, EMC)
    • Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing and control system verification

Soft Skills
  • Ability to simplify complex problems and provide clear, well-reasoned recommendations.
  • A product mindset - designing for repeatability, reliability, and scale, with the discipline to follow standard documentation and release processes.
  • An ability to communicate openly and authentically in all situations.

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