Senior Electrical Engineer, Motor Controller

FRONTGRADE TECHNOLOGIES

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

Qualifications

  • B.S. in Electrical Engineering; M.S. or Ph.D. preferred.
  • 8+ years of experience in embedded motor control design, with 5+ years in aerospace or high-reliability sectors.
  • Proficiency in embedded C/C++, auto-code generation, and real-time MCUs/FPGA.
  • Strong knowledge of power electronics, PCB layout, and EMI/EMC mitigation.
  • Experience with aerospace qualification processes and TRLs.

Responsibilities

  • Lead design of advanced motor drives and inverters for aerospace applications.
  • Develop and optimize high-bandwidth control algorithms on aerospace microcontrollers and FPGAs.
  • Direct and mentor cross-functional engineering teams through design reviews.
  • Conduct performance and functional analyses using MATLAB/Simulink and other tools.
  • Create hardware test plans and ensure compliance with aerospace standards.
  • Manage vendor relations for component selection and manufacturing.

Benefits

  • Immediate Medical (FSA and HSA), Dental, and Vision coverage.
  • 401K Match with 100% immediate vesting.
  • 9X80 compressed work schedule for qualifying roles.
  • Career growth and advancement opportunities.
  • Tuition Reimbursement and Student Loan Repayment assistance.
  • Generous PTO and 11 paid holidays annually.
  • 8 weeks of 100% Paid Family Leave.
Full Job Description
Job Description

Frontgrade is seeking a visionary and highly technical Senior Electrical Engineer (Technical Fellow) to spearhead the architecture and development of next-generation motor control systems for aerospace applications. In this high-level role, you will lead a multidisciplinary team to design, analyze, manufacture and test high-power density inverters and motor drives for flight-critical actuation and electric propulsion. You will own the core control systems from initial concept through to final flight certification.

The Engineering Technical Fellow is an appointed position through a nomination process within the Technology Office. The Technical Fellow servers as a technical leader responsible for an Engineering discipline, driving innovation and excellence in related Engineering practices. This role involves providing expert guidance on complex Engineering tasks and projects, influencing strategic direction, and mentoring Engineering team members. The Technical Fellow is expected to leverage deep Engineering expertise to solve challenging problems, contribute to the development of new technologies, and enhance product quality. The ideal candidate will possess a strong track record of technical achievement, exceptional problem-solving skills, and the ability to communicate complex concepts in clear and concise manner.

Responsibilities

Architectural Design: Lead the end-to-end design of advanced motor drives, power conversion hardware, and high-frequency inverters for stepper and BLDC motors in accordance with industry, NASA and Military standards.

Control Algorithm Development: Define, develop, and optimize high-bandwidth current loops (e.g., FOC, sensored and sensor-less control) running on real-time aerospace microcontrollers, FPGAs and DSPs.

Technical Leadership: Direct cross-functional design teams (hardware, software, mechanical), mentor junior engineers, and lead critical design reviews.

Modeling & Simulation: Perform rigorous performance, functional and sensitivity analyses, worst-case circuit analysis, and closed-loop motor drive simulations using tools like MATLAB/Simulink, ANSYS EDT, MAXWEL and similar tools.

Verification & Certification: Develop hardware test plans, perform bench validation, and ensure compliance with strict aerospace standards (e.g., NASA-EEE-INST-002, DO-160, MIL-STD-461, DO-178).

Vendor & Supplier Management: Interface with suppliers for component selection, prototyping, and manufacturing.

Qualifications

Education: B.S. in Electrical Engineering (or equivalent). M.S. or Ph.D. is highly preferred.

Experience: 8+ years of professional experience in embedded motor control hardware and/or software design, with at least 5 years in the aerospace or high-reliability robotics/automotive sectors.

Technical Mastery:
  • Proficiency with embedded C/C++, auto-code generation, and real-time MCUs and FPGAs.
  • Deep understanding of power electronics, PCB layout (e.g., Altium), and electromagnetic interference (EMI/EMC) mitigation.


Aerospace Compliance: Proven background navigating technology readiness levels (TRL) and aerospace/defense qualification processes.

Additional Information

This position may require access to technology, materials, software or hardware that is controlled by either ITAR or EAR U.S. export laws. As a condition of any job offer, in order to be employed in this position, you may need to obtain a U.S. Government export license(s), as required by law.

Other benefits include:
  • Immediate Medical (FSA and HSA), Dental, and Vision
  • 401K Match with 100% immediate vesting
  • 9X80 compressed work schedule for qualifying roles
  • Career Opportunity and Growth
  • Tuition Reimbursement/Student Loan Repayment
  • Generous PTO and 11 paid Holidays per year (9 designated holidays and 2 floating holidays)
  • 8 weeks of 100% Paid Family Leave

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