Embedded Controls Engineer -- Thermal/Fluid Systems

Mesodyne Inc; Somerville (MA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

Mesodyne Inc in Somerville, MA seeks an Embedded Controls Engineer focusing on Thermal/Fluid Systems. You will design, implement, and tune complex feedback loops in C/C++ to manage thermal and fluidic dynamics.

The ideal candidate has proven experience in control system architecture and the ability to translate theoretical models into practical applications. A strong educational background is required in related engineering fields.

Qualifications

• Deep practical and mathematical understanding of classical controls.
• Production-grade proficiency writing digital control code in C/C++ for microcontrollers.
• Experience managing slow, non-linear, interacting physical processes preferred.

Responsibilities

• Design and optimize control strategies for thermal, fluidic, and electrical domains.
• Translate control theory math into robust, real-time C/C++ code.
• Develop mathematical models of physical components for HIL simulations.
• Spend time in the lab tuning control coefficients on live prototypes.

Skills

Control Loop Mastery

C/C++ Firmware Competency

Practical Test Skills

Education

B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Systems, or Robotics Engineering

Tools

MATLAB/Simulink

Job description

Embedded Controls Engineer -- Thermal/Fluid Systems

Mesodyne is looking for an Embedded Controls Engineer (Thermal/Fluid Systems) who treats controls as a practical tool to govern real-world physics, not just an academic exercise.

Think of the LightCell as a miniature, real-time chemical process plant packed into a portable footprint. This role is not about calculating aerospace flight paths or coding PLC factory automation line logic. Instead, you will design, implement, and tune multiple interacting, nested feedback loops—simultaneously throttling microfluidic fuel delivery, managing air-to-fuel ratios, and maintaining precise thermal boundaries—all written directly in C/C++ firmware for an STM32 running FreeRTOS.

Key Responsibilities

• Control System Architecture: Design and optimize control strategies (PID, nested loops, feedforward, state-space, and MIMO, etc.) to manage the interconnected thermal, fluidic, and electrical domains of the LightCell.
• Bare-Metal Firmware Implementation: Translate control theory math directly into robust, real-time code. Implement, debug, and validate these algorithms directly in C/C++ on our STM32 microcontroller firmware. (No PLCs or ladder logic—you own the firmware level of the control system).
• Practical System Modeling: Develop mathematical models of physical components (heaters, pumps, valves, and combustion dynamics) using MATLAB/Simulink or Python to execute hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulations and predict transient responses. Use modeling to accelerate deployment, ensuring it serves as a bridge to real code rather than a final product.
• Hands-On Lab Tuning & Validation: Spend substantial time in the lab. Set up step-response testing, capture sensor data, and tune control coefficients on live physical prototypes to conquer highly non-linear thermal and fluidic dynamics.

Qualifications & Skills

• Education: B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Systems, or Robotics Engineering. (We value a strong background in process control, thermal systems, or mechatronics).
• Control Loop Mastery: Deep practical and mathematical understanding of classical controls (Transfer Functions, PID, nested loops, feedforward, and stability margins). Experience managing slow, non-linear, interacting physical processes (thermal, pneumatic, hydraulic, or chemical) is highly preferred.
• C/C++ Firmware Competency: Production-grade proficiency writing digital control code directly in C/C++ for resource-constrained microcontrollers. This is a firmware-heavy role; pure MATLAB modelers or industrial PLC programmers will not fit the technical scope.
• Practical Test Skills: Eager to validate algorithms on physical hardware, tuning loops on live test setups to manage non-linear dynamics.

Location

This position is based at our facility in Somerville, MA.