Principal Control Systems Engineer

About the role

Focused Energy is seeking a Principal Control Systems Engineer to lead the long-term control systems architecture and technical vision for their laser-driven nuclear fusion projects. The role involves defining standards and managing the end-to-end delivery of critical control systems across experimental and production environments in Germany and the USA. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to design system-level architecture and ensure high performance and reliability.

Responsibilities

• Design the system-level architecture for control systems across facilities, making strategic platform and technology choices.
• Direct real-time and embedded control solution implementation, selecting and guiding use of PLC, FPGA and other real-time platforms.
• Work with system integrators, electrical engineering, cabinet builders, and technicians to specify, design, review, test, install, and commission control cabinet hardware and field devices.
• Collaborate with the software team to architect and deliver fully integrated SCADA, HMI and data systems.
• Orchestrate system integration across multiple complex subsystems and teams, defining observability and diagnostic strategies.
• Shape requirements, documentation and validation approaches at system level, including design specs and test strategies.
• Coach and mentor senior and junior engineers, identifying capability gaps and championing best practices.

Required skills

• Control systems
• Embedded systems
• PLC
• FPGA
• SCADA
• HMI
• System architecture
• Automation
• Hardware integration
• Software engineering

Nice to have

• ST IEC 61131-3
• Beckhoff
• TwinCAT
• Ignition
• LabVIEW
• Machine vision
• Motion control
• Robotics

Qualifications

• Degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Control/Automation, Mechatronics/Robotics, Physics or similar
• PhD or equivalent experience

About the Company

Focused Energy is an international deep-tech company based in Germany and the US, working to commercialize laser-driven nuclear fusion. Their mission is to provide clean, safe, and virtually unlimited energy to the world.