Controls Engineer IV – Staff Engineer

Pentangle Tech Services | P5 Group; Michigan; On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Pentangle Tech Services | P5 Group is seeking a senior electrical engineer to lead control design and validation for power generation and management systems. You will architect complex control algorithms, integrate with MV protection schemes, and drive high-performance PLC/embedded implementations.

The role emphasizes model-based design, high-fidelity simulations, automated verification, and production-ready code, with extensive collaboration across manufacturing and product teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering or related discipline.
• 7+ years of relevant work experience.

Responsibilities

• Control design, validation, and market launch of new power generation and power management products, owning technical decisions from concept through production release.
• Define precise control system functional requirements; architect, design, implement, and integrate complex control algorithms into final designs.
• Develop and optimize control algorithms for power conversion, power management, and machine operation, including closed-loop tuning, stability analysis, and performance optimization.
• Develop and validate control, synchronization, and paralleling algorithms for medium-voltage (1 kV–38 kV) power systems, coordinating with MV protective relaying and switchgear interlocks.
• Apply model-based design methodologies: build high-fidelity system simulations, perform automated design verification, and generate production-ready code.
• Develop and optimize PLC and embedded control programming for reliable, high-performance machine operation.
• Design, develop, execute, and evaluate fitness-for-use testing, product specifications, and process validation plans using HIL/SIL, bench, and system-level methods.
• Collaborate with manufacturing partners and designers to optimize complex designs for manufacturability and serviceability.
• Drive product development plans to meet schedule, product cost, and design input commitments.
• Serve as a technical leader and mentor to raise engineering standards across the team.

Skills

Control algorithms

MV power systems

MV protection interfacing

Closed-loop control

Model-based design

HIL/SIL testing

PLC programming

Industrial protocols

Machine design

Power management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

MATLAB/Simulink

SAP

MS Office

Ethernet/IP

Job description

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering or related discipline;
• 7+ years of relevant work experience;

Preferred Qualifications:

Technical Expertise

• Proven expertise developing control algorithms across diverse power control and power management applications (e.g., genset control, inverter control, paralleling, load management, grid-interactive operation).
• Demonstrated expertise in medium-voltage power applications, particularly mission-critical power solutions, including control of MV gensets, inverters, or paralleling systems.
• Experience interfacing control systems with MV protective relays, breaker control circuits, and switchgear safety interlocks; familiarity with MV grounding and system protection philosophies as they affect control design.
• Deep experience in closed-loop control tuning, stability analysis, and performance optimization of advanced control algorithms.
• Expertise in model-based design methodologies (MATLAB/Simulink or equivalent), including high-fidelity system simulation, automated design verification, and production-ready automatic code generation.
• Experience developing and executing test and validation plans using multiple methods (HIL/SIL, bench-level component and system testing, fault injection, etc.).
• Proficiency with PLC programming and industrial communication protocols (CAN, Modbus, Ethernet/IP, or equivalent).
• Experience with machine design and new product development from concept through production.

Professional Skills

• Demonstrated ability to solve complex engineering problems and apply engineering judgment to improve products, services, and processes.
• Ability to manage multiple projects of increasing complexity with a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Strong written communication and presentation skills, with the ability to translate technical information for any audience — from engineers to executives.
• Active participation in technical communities, industry standards bodies, or regulatory working groups (e.g., IEEE, UL, NFPA 110).
• Proficiency with standard business software (MS Office suite) and ERP systems (SAP or equivalent).

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Control design, validation, and market launch of new power generation and power management products, owning technical decisions from concept through production release.
• Define precise control system functional requirements; architect, design, implement, and integrate complex control algorithms and software into final designs; evaluate overall design effectiveness, cost (including cost/benefit analysis), reliability (risk analysis), and safety.
• Develop and optimize control algorithms for power conversion, power management, and machine operation, including closed-loop tuning, stability analysis, and performance optimization.
• Develop and validate control, synchronization, and paralleling algorithms for medium-voltage (1 kV–38 kV) power generation and power conversion systems, including coordination with MV protective relaying and switchgear interlocking schemes.
• Apply model-based design methodologies: build high-fidelity system simulations, perform automated design verification, and generate production-ready code.
• Develop and optimize PLC and embedded control programming to achieve reliable, high-performance machine operation.
• Design, develop, execute, and evaluate fitness-for-use testing, product specifications, and process validation plans for complex control systems, using HIL/SIL, bench, and system-level methods.
• Collaborate with internal manufacturing partners, contract manufacturers, designers, and product specialists to optimize complex designs for manufacturability and serviceability.
• Drive product development plans to meet schedule, product cost, and design input commitments.
• Serve as a technical leader and mentor, developing the capabilities of less experienced engineers and raising the engineering standard across the team.