Cowboyspace

Controls Engineer

Seattle, WA

Work authorization required$160k-$200kDetected 13 days ago

PythonC++MATLABEmbedded SystemsAvionicsPLCElectrical EngineeringPower ElectronicsControlsLabVIEWSimulinkCommunicationActuators

About the role

This includes motor-driven valve and pump actuation, automated fill/drain/vent/conditioning sequences, and closed-loop control of fluid subsystems across propulsion, pressurization, and thermal management.
This role is located in the Seattle WA area.

Design and implement motor control systems for electrically actuated valves and pumps, interfacing with drive electronics, feedback sensing, and control algorithms.
Develop automated sequences for propellant fill, drain, vent, and conditioning operations on both vehicle and ground support equipment.
Architect and implement closed-loop control for fluid system parameters (pressure, temperature, flow rate, liquid level) across propulsion and thermal subsystems.
Design control electronics hardware (motor drivers, power stages, sensor interfaces) or define requirements for electrical engineering partners.
Develop embedded firmware and real-time control software for fluid system controllers and sequencers.
Perform system modeling and simulation to validate control strategies, predict transient behavior, and tune controller gains.
Develop fault detection, isolation, and recovery (FDIR) logic for fluid system automation to ensure safe operations during nominal and off-nominal conditions.
Support propulsion hot-fire testing, vehicle fill/drain operations, and ground system commissioning.
Investigate anomalies, analyze telemetry data, and iterate on control designs to improve performance and reliability.
Cowboy Space Corp. is building the infrastructure to power and connect the orbital economy.

Bachelor's degree in Mechatronics, Electrical, Mechanical, Aerospace, or related engineering field.
3+ years of experience in controls engineering, mechatronics, or automation for hardware systems.
Experience with motor control (BLDC, stepper, or brushed) including drive electronics and feedback control.
Experience with PID control loops, kalman filtering, feedforward control or other control loops and estimation algorithms.
Proficiency in embedded programming (C/C++) for real-time control applications.

Experience with PLC/PAC programming or custom sequencing engines for ground support equipment.
Familiarity with communication protocols common in aerospace (CAN, RS-422, EtherCAT, SpaceWire).
Experience with hardware-in-the-loop testing and rapid prototyping of control systems.
Experience with launch vehicle, spacecraft, or rocket engine fluid system controls.
Familiarity with cryogenic fluid handling and the controls challenges of cryogenic environments.
10 paid holidays per calendar year
Relocation assistance if applicable
Daily lunch in the office and a fully stocked kitchen with beverages and snacks

This listing is sourced directly from Cowboyspace's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.