Senior Controls Engineer

How will you make a difference?

As the Senior Controls Design Engineer, you will serveas the lead technical contributor within a controls engineering team responsible for the Trip Optimizer Energy Management/Cruise Control system for heavy haul freight locomotives. The role combines hands-on controls development with technical leadership in prioritizing and executing work across product enhancements, field support, and long-term product evolution.

What do we want to know about you?

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or other engineering discipline with a controls or dynamic systems focus

• Demonstrated proficiency in model-based control system design and development using MATLAB/Simulink

• Minimum 8 years of engineering experience

• Willingness and ability to travel up to 10% of the time

Desired Characteristics

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Experience with feedback control systems, dynamic system modeling, or estimation techniques.

• Demonstrated ability to coordinate technical activities, establish priorities, and balance field support, product enhancements, and long-term engineering objectives.

• Experience mentoring engineers and providing technical leadership through collaboration, design reviews, and knowledge sharing.

• Experience investigating field issues, performing root-cause analysis, and implementing corrective actions.

• Experience analyzing operational, test, or field data to evaluate control system performance and identify improvement opportunities.

• Familiarity with locomotive systems, train operations, vehicle dynamics, or rail transportation systems.

• Master's degree or advanced study in controls, robotics, autonomous systems, estimation, optimization, or dynamic system modeling.

What will your typical day look like?

• Lead the design of train control algorithms and system functionality, including control strategies, estimation methods, performance analysis, and technical specifications for freight train cruise control and train handling applications.

• Develop, implement, and validate control system solutions using MATLAB/Simulink and related engineering tools, supporting simulation, validation, testing, and release of control system functionality.

• Coordinate technical activities within a team of controls engineers, helping establish priorities, remove obstacles, and maintain steady progress across field issue resolution, new feature development, and long-term product evolution.

• Analyze field performance data, investigate reported issues, determine root causes, and drive effective corrective actions.

• Collaborate with systems, software, and product teams to deliver robust and practical solutions.

• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to other engineers through design reviews, collaborative problem solving, and knowledge sharing.

• Contribute to the long-term technical roadmap for train control capabilities and continuous product improvement.

What about the physical demands of the job?

• Willingness and ability to travel up to 10% of the time to the Railroad yards and field

• You can expect to lift < 10 lbs on occasion

• Ability to get on and off of a locomotive

• Handle tools, plug in cables, and operate a Portable Test Unit (PTU)

• Very rarely, but on occasion, you may be asked to work 12-hour or longer shifts, often overnight

You may also be asked to perform other duties outside of your function or trade, for which adequate training will be provided if necessary.

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