Senior Principal Controls Engineer

MKS Instruments, Inc.; Andover (MA); On-site; USD 155,000 - 259,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid holidays

Paid vacation (15 days)

Parental leave

Job summary

MKS Instruments, Inc. in Andover, MA seeks a Senior Principal Controls Engineer to lead design and development of advanced control solutions for vacuum valve products. You will collaborate with a multidisciplinary team and interface with customers to translate requirements into innovative, manufacturable systems.

The role emphasizes modeling, firmware collaboration, and lifecycle involvement from concept to production, with a focus on quality, performance, and regulatory compliance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D. in Engineering or related technical field.
• 12+ years of relevant work experience.
• Strong experience with Control System Analysis, Modeling and design.
• Experience with embedded firmware systems, data acquisition, signal processing and system integration.
• Technical experience in product development from concept to manufacturing.
• Strong communication and teamwork skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of advanced control solutions for vacuum valve products.
• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team focused on vacuum valve innovation.
• Contribute to specification, modeling, and design of motor control and vacuum systems.
• Partner with customers and applications engineers to translate requirements into solutions.
• Model multidisciplinary systems using Simulink and Matlab.
• Work with firmware engineers to implement and tune motion and pressure control algorithms.
• Collaborate with manufacturing and operations to ensure manufacturability and reliability.
• Participate in all product lifecycle phases from concept to production release.
• Ensure products meet quality, performance, and regulatory standards through testing and verification.

Skills

Control systems

Modeling & design

Embedded firmware

Data acquisition

Product development

Education

Engineering degree (Bachelors/Masters/PhD)

Tools

Simulink

MATLAB

Job description

A Day in the Life at MKS:

As a Senior Principal Controls Engineer at MKS Andover, you will work with other engineers, customers, applications, manufacturing, and supply chain to develop and support vacuum valves.

You Will Make an Impact By:

In this role, you will make a meaningful impact by contributing to the design and development of advanced mechanical products used across multiple industries.

• Lead the design and development of advanced control solutions for vacuum valve products
• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of product design engineers focused on vacuum valve innovation and performance
• Contribute to the specification, modeling, development, design of complex motor control and vacuum pressure control systems.
• Partner directly with customers and applications engineers to understand customers requirements and develop innovative solutions to solve our customers most difficult problems.
• Use your knowledge, experience, and analysis tools such as Simulink / Matlab to model multidiscipline systems including motor drive electronics, motion control algorithms, encoders, mechanical drives, vacuum systems, and gas handling dynamics.
• Work closely with firmware engineers to implement, tune and validate motion and pressure control algorithms.
• Collaborate with manufacturing and operations teams throughout the product development, launch, and scale-up to volume production to ensure designs are manufacturable and reliable.
• Participate in all phases of the product development lifecycle, including concept development, feasibility validation, design, prototyping, testing, and production release.
• Ensure all products meet quality standards, performance expectations, and regulatory requirements through thorough testing, validation, and design verification processes.

Skills You Bring:

• Bachelor’s, Master’s , or Ph.D. degree in Engineering or a related technical discipline.
• 12 or more years of relevant work experience.
• Strong experience with Control System Analysis, Modeling and design
• Experience with embedded firmware systems, data acquisition signal processing and system integration
• Technical experience in product development from concept to manufacturing.
• Strong communication and teamwork skills

Preferred Skills:

• Experience Semiconductor manufacturing equipment
• Experience with Vacuum Technology and vacuum process control
• Experience developing motion control systems for electromechanical products

MKS is an equal opportunity employer, including disability, veteran status and all categories protected by law. Please review our EOE statements for additional details.

Compensation and Benefits:

Salary Pay Range: $155,250.00 - 258,750.00.00 per year. This range is a good faith estimate of the expected salary range for this position, based on a wide range of factors including qualifications, experience and training, operational and business needs and other considerations permitted by law. At MKS, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for the role.

Bonus: This position is eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, in an amount to be determined by MKS [or as applicable].

Benefits: MKS offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance coverage (medical, dental and vision), 401(k) with company match, life and disability insurance, 12 paid holidays, sick time, 15 paid vacation days, [6 weeks fully paid] parental leave, adoption assistance and tuition reimbursement [and for participation in any stock programs, signing bonus, etc.].

#LI-DJ1 Globally, our policy is to recruit individuals from wide and diverse backgrounds. However, certain positions require access to controlled goods and technologies subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) or Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Applicants for these positions may need to be “U.S. persons.” “U.S. persons” are generally defined as U.S. citizens, noncitizen nationals, lawful permanent residents (or, green card holders), individuals granted asylum, and individuals admitted as refugees.

MKS Inc. and its affiliates and subsidiaries (“MKS”) is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer: diverse candidates are encouraged to apply. We win as a team and are committed to recruiting and hiring qualified applicants regardless of race, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions), religion, age, ancestry, physical or mental disability or handicap, marital status, membership in the uniformed services, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other category protected by applicable law. Hiring decisions are based on merit, qualifications and business needs. We conduct background checks and drug screens, in accordance with applicable law and company policies.

MKS is generally only hiring candidates who reside in states where we are registered to do business.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

MKS is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process due to a disability, please contact us at: [e-mail] .

If applying for a specific job, please include the requisition number (ex: RXXXX), the title and location of the role

At MKS, it's all about courage, big ideas, and a serious passion for innovation. Winning here is about exploring possibilities, taking action, and solving our customers’ toughest challenges. It's not just a job – it's what you make of it. While you shape your role and make it unique, we invest in you with on-the-job and formal training, as well as educational assistance. Curiosity is key at MKS - ask questions, own your path.

Our success comes from celebrating the unique skills, diverse perspectives, and lived experience of employees from over 100 countries. The goal is to make sure that everyone feels that they belong. Diversity isn't just a nice-to-have; making sure everyone feels included is a big deal for us.

Our group of ~10,000 employees serves semiconductor manufacturing, electronics and packaging, and specialty industrial markets. With over 3,800 patents, our products are enabling advancements in 5G, renewable energy & storage, artificial intelligence, cloud technology, and big data. We're the behind-the-scenes support for some amazing technology. MKS Inc., enables technologies that transform our world.

MKS Inc, Product Overview