Controls Engineer I / Electrical Engineer I

Communications & Power Industries (CPI); Plano (TX); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and wellness programs

Retirement savings plan with company 


Career development

Job summary

Communications & Power Industries (CPI) in Plano, TX is seeking a Controls Engineer I to help design, develop, test, and integrate control systems for advanced ground station antennas and optical telescopes. You will collaborate with electrical, controls, mechanical, software, and systems engineers to gain hands‑on experience with motion control, embedded systems, and servo drives.

The role is ideal for a recent Electrical Engineering graduate eager to apply classroom knowledge to real‑world

Qualifications

• U.S. citizenship due to government contract and facility security requirements.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Electrical Engineering Technology, Controls Engineering, or related field.
• 0–2 years of engineering experience; recent graduates welcome.
• Foundational understanding of control systems, electrical circuits, electronics, and/or embedded systems.
• Familiarity with CAN bus or similar protocols is a plus.
• Ability to read electrical schematics and drawings.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills; effective communication.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally (30–40%).

Responsibilities

• Participates in electrical requirements and functional analysis, performance analysis, design, integration and verification of electrical components and systems.
• Support the design and development of control systems for full-motion ground station antennas under experienced guidance.
• Handle electrical configuration, component selection, schematic capture, layout, test, and integration of servo and RF systems.
• Assist with developing, tuning, and troubleshooting PID control loops for motion-control applications.
• Document electrical and control system architectures using CAN bus or similar protocols.
• Develop, modify, and troubleshoot embedded C code for control applications.
• Assist with integration and testing of brushless DC motors, servo drives, and encoders.
• Collaborate with diverse engineers to integrate control systems into antenna products.
• Perform system modeling, simulation, testing, and data analysis to evaluate performance.
• Support lab and field testing, troubleshooting, and root‑cause analysis.
• Participate in internal reviews and vendor capability evaluations.
• Create and maintain engineering documentation (schematics, specs, test procedures).
• Review customer requirements and participate in design reviews for continuous improvement.
• Support projects from concept to prototype, testing and production release.
• Support installations and field activities with the team.
• Follow established engineering standards and development tools.
• Maintain focus on quality, reliability, and cost throughout development.

Skills

Analytical thinking & problem solving

Written & verbal communication

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Learning new technologies

Schematic reading

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering Technology

Master of Science in Electrical Engineering

Tools

CAN bus

Embedded C programming

Job description

As a Controls Engineer I, 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 gain hands‑on experience with motion control, embedded systems, motors, servo drives, and antenna tracking systems. This is an opportunity for a recent Electrical Engineering graduate to apply classroom knowledge to real-world engineering challenges while developing expertise in satellite communications and precision motion‑control systems.

Your Day To Day

• Participates in electrical requirements analysis, functional analysis, performance analysis (e.g. timing, power, etc.), design, integration and verification of electrical components, equipment and systems.
• Support the design and development of control systems for full-motion ground station antennas under the guidance of experienced engineers.
• Tasks include electrical system configuration, component selection and specification, design, schematic capture, layout, and test of analog and digital electronics, wiring, harnessing, and connectorization of servo and RF systems, and all aspects of integration, test, troubleshooting, and production support. Candidate will work closely with servo, software, mechanical, production, and test personnel.
• Assist with developing, tuning, and troubleshooting PID control loops for motion-control applications.
• Support the development and documentation of electrical and control system architectures using CAN bus or similar communication protocols.
• Develop, modify, and troubleshoot embedded C code for control applications.
• Assist with the integration and testing of brushless DC motors, servo drives, encoders, and other motion-control components.
• Collaborate with electrical, mechanical, software, and systems engineers to integrate control systems into antenna products.
• Perform basic system modeling, simulation, testing, and data analysis to evaluate system performance.
• Support laboratory and field testing, troubleshooting, and root-cause analysis of control system issues.
• Participates in internal electrical reviews of electrical components, equipment and systems
• Evaluates vendor capability to support product development
• Create and maintain engineering documentation, including schematics, specifications, test procedures, and other technical documentation.
• Review customer requirements and engineering specifications with senior engineers to assess technical requirements and potential solutions.
• Participate in engineering design reviews and contribute to continuous improvement of products and processes.
• Support engineering projects from concept through prototype, testing, and production release.
• Installations and field support activities
• Follow established engineering standards, processes, procedures, and development tools.
• Maintain a focus on product quality, reliability, and cost throughout the development process.

YOU ARE THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THIS JOB IF YOU HAVE

Required Qualifications

• This position requires U.S. citizenship due to government contract and facility security requirements. Candidates who are not U.S. citizens, including lawful permanent residents, EAD holders, and individuals with visa-based work authorization, are not eligible for consideration.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance is required.
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Electrical Engineering Technology, Controls Engineering, or a related field.
• 0–2 years of engineering experience; recent college graduates are encouraged to apply.
• 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

• Master of Science in Electrical Engineering.
• 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.

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.