Controls Engineer II / Electrical Engineer II

As a Controls Engineer II, you’ll support the design, development, testing, and integration of control systems for advanced ground station antennas and Optical Telescopes. Working alongside experienced electrical, controls, mechanical, software, and systems engineers, you’ll increase your experience with motion control, embedded systems, motors, servo drives, and antenna tracking systems.

This is an opportunity for an early career Electrical Engineer to support real-world engineering challenges while developing expertise in satellite communications and precision motion-control systems.

This position requires U.S. citizenship due to specific government contract requirements and/or the need to obtain or maintain a U.S. government security clearance. Candidates who do not meet these requirements, including lawful permanent residents, EAD holders, and foreign nationals with temporary work authorization, are not eligible for consideration.

YOUR DAY TO DAY:

• Participates in electrical requirements, functional, and performance analysis for electrical components, equipment, and systems, including timing, power, and other system-level considerations.
• Designs and develops electrical and control systems for full-motion ground station antennas and Optical Telescopes, including system configuration, component selection, schematic capture, layout, and integration.
• Designs, integrates, and tests analog and digital electronics, wiring, harnesses, and connectorization for servo and RF systems.
• Develops, tunes, and troubleshoots PID control loops and embedded C applications for motion-control systems.
• Supports the development and documentation of electrical and control system architectures using CAN bus or similar communication protocols.
• Integrates and tests brushless DC motors, servo drives, encoders, and other motion-control components.
• Performs system modeling, simulation, testing, data analysis, and troubleshooting to evaluate system performance and identify root causes of technical issues.
• Collaborates with electrical, controls, software, mechanical, production, and test personnel to integrate and support electrical and control systems throughout the product lifecycle.
• Participates in electrical and engineering design reviews and contributes to continuous improvement of products and engineering processes.
• Reviews customer requirements, design proposals, specifications, manuals, and other technical information to assess requirements and determine design or application feasibility.
• Selects components and equipment based on technical specifications, performance requirements, reliability, and product requirements; evaluates vendor capabilities as needed to support product development.
• Creates and maintains engineering documentation, including schematics, specifications, test procedures, and other technical documentation.
• Supports engineering projects from concept through prototype, verification, production release, production support, and field installation.
• Plans assigned engineering tasks and subtasks, coordinates with multiple work groups, and communicates technical status and issues to project leaders and Program Managers.
• Works on problems of moderate scope under general supervision and may interact with external customers in support of technical discussions, installations, field support, and resolution of engineering issues.

YOU ARE THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THIS JOB IF YOU HAVE

Required Qualifications

• This position requires U.S. citizenship due to specific government contract requirements and/or the need to obtain or maintain a U.S. government security clearance. Candidates who do not meet these requirements, including lawful permanent residents, EAD holders, and foreign nationals with temporary work authorization, are not eligible for consideration.
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Electrical Engineering Technology, Controls Engineering, or a related field.
• 2-5 years of engineering experience.
• Working knowledge of electrical engineering concepts, principles, theories, and processes.
• Foundational understanding of control systems, electrical circuits, electronics, and/or embedded systems.
• Familiarity with C or embedded C programming.
• Basic understanding of motors, servo systems, sensors, and feedback control is preferred.
• Familiarity with CAN bus or other communication protocols is a plus.
• Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics and engineering drawings.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to troubleshoot technical issues methodically.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary engineering team.
• Ability to manage multiple assignments, learn new technologies, and work effectively under the direction of senior engineers.
• Significant domestic and international travel will be required to support field installations (30-40%).

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands-on experience through academic projects, internships, co-ops, robotics, laboratory work, or personal projects involving motors, controls, embedded systems, electronics, or automation.
• Experience with engineering software, simulation tools, or laboratory test equipment through coursework or project work.
• Exposure to brushless DC motors, servo drives, PID control, motion control, or antenna tracking systems.
• Familiarity with CAN bus, CANopen, or similar communication protocols.
• Master of Science in Electrical Engineering.

SHAPING THE FUTURE THROUGH INNOVATION AND DISCOVERY!

With a history spanning more than seven decades, Communications & Power Industries’ thousands of products have impacted people’s lives in numerous unseen ways every day. Our highly engineered products serve as the backbone of modern-day commercial and military communications systems, assist in diagnosing medical conditions, empower scientific discoveries and space exploration, and much more.

CPI is headquartered in Plano, Texas and is a global manufacturer of electronic components and subsystems. We have manufacturing locations in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia. With a heritage of technological excellence, our team serves customers in the communications, defense, medical, industrial, and scientific markets.

WHAT WE OFFER:

Whether you are a seasoned professional or just embarking on your career, CPI is an ideal place to expand your knowledge and expertise. We cultivate a healthy, dynamic, and team-oriented environment that empowers our employees to develop, create and deliver innovative, reliable technology solutions to power, connect, protect, and support a better tomorrow.

We offer our employees an attractive compensation package with competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits, including health and wellness programs, career development, generous retirement savings plan with company match and more!

WHO WE ARE:

We value the unique and diverse skills, qualities, and backgrounds that each employee brings to CPI, and we respect each employee as an integral member of our growing team. CPI is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all current and prospective employees, as well as to promoting a culture of inclusion and respect for everyone. We celebrate the innovation that diversity creates in the work environment, and we recognize that each employee brings their own unique capabilities, experiences, and perspectives to the organization. It is this variety that adds value to our teams, as well as to our stakeholders. We welcome and encourage applicants to reach their full potential with us.

CPI is proud to be an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability or other applicable legally protected characteristics.