Spaceflight Controls Engineer — Real-Time Fluid Systems

Cowboy Space Corp.; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) retirement savings plan

Paid time off

10 paid holidays per calendar year

Paid parental leave

Relocation assistance

Daily lunch in office and kitchen

Job summary

Cowboy Space Corp. seeks an experienced controls engineer to design and implement motor control systems for fluid subsystems in a space vehicle.

You’ll develop automated sequences and closed‑loop control for propulsion, pressurization, and thermal management, working at the intersection of electrical, mechanical, and software engineering. You will model, simulate, and test control strategies, validate hardware‑in‑the‑loop performance, and collaborate with propulsion, avionics, and software teams

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering field (Mechatronics, Electrical, Mechanical, or Aerospace) required.
• 3+ years in controls, mechatronics, or hardware automation.
• Experience with motor control and drive electronics.
• Proficiency in embedded C/C++ for real‑time control.
• Experience with automated sequences or state machines.
• Hands‑on integration of sensors, actuators, and control electronics.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement motor control systems for valves and pumps.
• Develop automated fill/drain/vent sequences.
• Architect closed‑loop control for fluid parameters.
• Select and integrate actuators, encoders, sensors.
• Develop embedded firmware and real‑time control software.
• Perform system modeling and simulation.
• Lead hardware‑in‑the‑loop tests.
• Develop fault detection and recovery logic.
• Collaborate with fluid, propulsion, avionics, and software teams.
• Support hot‑fire testing and ground operations.
• Investigate anomalies and tune controllers.

Skills

Motor control

Embedded programming

Control algorithms

System integration

State machines

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechatronics, Electrical, Mechanical, Aerospace, or related engineering field

Tools

MATLAB/Simulink

Python

LabVIEW

Job description

Cowboy Space Corp. seeks an experienced controls engineer to design and implement motor control systems for fluid subsystems in a space vehicle.

You’ll develop automated sequences and closed‑loop control for propulsion, pressurization, and thermal management, working at the intersection of electrical, mechanical, and software engineering. You will model, simulate, and test control strategies, validate hardware‑in‑the‑loop performance, and collaborate with propulsion, avionics, and software teams