Electrical Engineer III, Motors and Controls

Kaney, Inc.; Rockford (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

Kaney, Inc. seeks an Electrical Engineer to design, analyze, and implement advanced fractional horsepower motor systems and their control electronics for aerospace actuation.

You will cover motor design, drive hardware, embedded control, and real-time firmware to deliver high-reliability actuation solutions that meet aerospace standards. You will collaborate across disciplines to optimize performance, reliability, and safety, implementing control loops, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in motor design or electromechanical actuation.
• Strong background in fractional-horsepower motor physics and electromagnetic design.
• Proficiency in motor-control algorithms (FOC, PID, sensor-based and sensorless).
• Experience with embedded real-time controls (C/C++, RTOS or bare-metal).

Responsibilities

• Design, model, and analyze fractional horsepower motors for aerospace actuation.
• Perform electromagnetic, thermal, and mechanical analyses of motor designs.
• Develop motor drive electronics and signal-conditioning circuits.
• Implement and tune motor control loops and real-time firmware for actuation systems.

Skills

Fractional horsepower motor design

Motor control theory

Embedded firmware

C/C++

RTOS

Signal conditioning

Troubleshooting with test equipment

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Job description

Description

Job Summary:

The Electrical Engineer will be responsible for designing, analyzing, and implementing advanced fractional horsepower motor systems and their associated control electronics for aerospace electromechanical actuators. This role spans the full stack of electromechanical control: motor design, motor drive hardware, embedded control algorithms, and real time firmware. The engineer will collaborate with cross functional teams to deliver high reliability, safety critical actuation solutions that meet stringent aerospace performance, environmental, and certification requirements. The ideal candidate brings deep experience in motor physics, control theory, embedded firmware, and mixed signal electronics, with a proven ability to take motor control systems from concept through test, qualification, and production.

Requirements

Major Responsibilities:

• Design, model, and analyze fractional horsepower motors (BLDC, PMSM, brushed DC, stepper) for aerospace actuation applications.
• Perform electromagnetic, thermal, and mechanical analysis of motor designs, including torque speed optimization, losses, and efficiency.
• Collaborate with mechanical and systems engineering to integrate motors into electromechanical actuator assemblies.
• Architect and design motor drive electronics, including gate drivers, current sense circuits, resolver/encoder interfaces, and protection circuitry.
• Develop mixed signal schematics and oversee PCB layout for motor control boards, ensuring signal integrity, EMC robustness, and aerospace reliability.
• Implement and tune current, velocity, and position control loops (FOC, trapezoidal, sinusoidal, sensor less, etc.).
• Develop real time embedded firmware for motor control, actuator control, and system level coordination (C/C++, bare metal or RTOS).
• Implement control algorithms, state machines, safety monitors, and communication protocols (CAN, RS 485, ARINC 429, etc.).
• Perform hardware in the loop (HIL) testing, firmware bring up, and system debugging.
• Support requirements development, allocation, and traceability for motor control and actuation subsystems.
• Ensure compliance with DO-160, DO-254, ARP4754, and other aerospace or military standards.
• Participate in design reviews, FMEAs, and safety analyses for EM control systems.
• Develop and execute motor control test plans, including bench testing, and environmental qualification.
• Diagnose issues related to motor performance, control stability, EMI/EMC, firmware timing, and sensor feedback.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience in motor design, motor control, or electromechanical actuation.

Minimum Competencies:

• Strong background in fractional-horsepower motor physics, electromagnetic design, and performance modeling.
• Proficiency in motor-control algorithms (FOC, PID tuning, commutation strategies, sensor less control).
• Experience with embedded firmware for real-time controls (C/C++, RTOS, bare-metal).
• Experience with feedback sensors (resolvers, encoders, Hall sensors) and signal-conditioning circuits.
• Familiarity with aerospace environmental and reliability requirements (DO-160, DO-254, derating, thermal analysis).
• Strong troubleshooting skills using oscilloscopes, current probes, and logic analyzers.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work cross-functionally in a regulated engineering environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with EMA’s for utility actuation or flight-control systems.
• Knowledge of FPGA-based motor control or high-speed digital logic.
• Experience with MATLAB/Simulink for control-loop modeling and simulation.
• Exposure to safety-critical firmware development and certification processes.
• Familiarity with power-stage design (MOSFET/IGBT selection, gate-drive tuning, thermal management).

Preferred Competencies:

• Experience in NI LabVIEW
• Experience in a lab, safely working with voltages greater than 500V