Staff Embedded Controls Engineer

Anode Technology Company; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Anode is seeking a Staff Controls Engineer to define the embedded controls architecture for its mobile battery energy storage platform and to lead production-ready software across generations.

You will collaborate with systems, electrical, firmware, mechanical, test, and product teams to solve complex control challenges, drive long-term strategies, and raise engineering standards in a startup environment.

Qualifications

• BS or MS in Electrical/Mechanical/Software or related field.
• 9+ years of controls software experience for electromechanical, automotive, robotics, or energy systems.
• Deep expertise in Simulink, Model-Based Design, and C/C++.
• Experience delivering production embedded control systems.
• Strong understanding of control theory and system-level design.
• Experience with power electronics, battery systems, vehicle controls, or safety-critical controls.
• Proficiency with CAN, CAN FD, Modbus, Serial, or Ethernet-based industrial protocols.
• Proven ability to lead complex technical initiatives across disciplines.
• Experience thriving in early-stage startups or iterative product development.

Responsibilities

• Define the embedded controls architecture for the mobile BESS platform.
• Lead design and development of Simulink-based embedded control software from concept to production.
• Own complex vehicle-level and system-level control strategies, balancing performance, safety, reliability, and maintainability.
• Drive technical direction across controls, power electronics, and system integration efforts.
• Establish engineering best practices for model-based development, software quality, testing, and validation.
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to other controls engineers, fostering engineering excellence across the team.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with systems, electrical, firmware, mechanical, test and product teams to define product requirements and influence technical decisions.
• Lead root cause investigations for complex system-level issues and drive robust long-term solutions.
• Drive software validation strategies from simulation and unit testing through hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), vehicle testing, and production deployment.
• Work with CAN, Modbus, and other automotive and industrial communication protocols.
• Influence product roadmap decisions by identifying technical opportunities, risks, and tradeoffs.

Skills

Simulink

Model-Based Design

C/C++

Controls software

Power electronics

Battery systems

CAN/CAN FD

Modbus

HIL/SIL

Startup experience

Education

B.S./M.S. in Electrical/Mechanical/Software Engineering or related

Tools

CAN/CAN FD

Modbus

Ethernet

Serial

Job description

Anode exists to accelerate the monumental shift away from the supersystem of extraction, processing, and burning of fossil fuels toward lightweight capture and consumption from entirely renewable sources. We’re building scalable, silent, flexible, and efficient mobile energy infrastructure to power the zero-emission future. Our mobile battery energy storage systems (mBESS) represent a new category of clean, deployable power.

Position

The Staff Controls Engineer will provide technical leadership for the embedded controls architecture powering Anode's mobile battery energy storage platform. This role is responsible for defining long-term control strategies, driving system architecture, and leading the development of production-ready embedded software across multiple product generations. As one of the most senior technical contributors on the team, you will partner closely with systems, electrical, firmware, mechanical, and product engineering to solve complex technical challenges while raising the engineering bar across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Define the embedded controls architecture for our mobile battery energy storage platform.
• Lead the design and development of Simulink-based embedded control software from concept through production.
• Own complex vehicle-level and system-level control strategies, balancing performance, safety, reliability, and maintainability.
• Drive technical direction across controls, power electronics, and system integration efforts.
• Establish engineering best practices for model-based development, software quality, testing, and validation.
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to other controls engineers, fostering engineering excellence across the team.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with systems, electrical, firmware, mechanical, test and product teams to define product requirements and influence technical decisions.
• Lead root cause investigations for complex system-level issues and drive robust long-term solutions.
• Drive software validation strategies from simulation and unit testing through hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), vehicle testing, and production deployment.
• Work with CAN, Modbus, and other automotive and industrial communication protocols.
• Influence product roadmap decisions by identifying technical opportunities, risks, and tradeoffs.

Qualifications

Must Have

• B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 9+ years of experience developing controls software for complex electromechanical, automotive, robotics, or energy systems.
• Deep expertise in Simulink, Model-Based Design, and C/C++.
• Demonstrated experience architecting and delivering production embedded control systems.
• Strong understanding of control theory and system-level controls design.
• Experience with power electronics, battery systems, vehicle controls, or other safety-critical control systems.
• Strong experience with communication protocols such as CAN, CAN FD, Modbus, serial, or Ethernet-based industrial protocols.
• Proven ability to lead complex technical initiatives across multiple engineering disciplines.
• Experience thriving in early-stage startups or highly iterative product development environments.

Preferred

• Experience leading the controls architecture for commercial vehicles, battery energy storage systems (BESS), EV charging, robotics, or similar products.
• Experience with Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL), Software-in-the-Loop (SIL), and automated validation frameworks.
• Experience developing safety-critical or certification-critical software.
• Strong understanding of relevant standards and compliance requirements (UL 9540, UL 1741, UL 1973, IEC 61508, ISO 26262, etc.).
• Experience mentoring engineers and shaping engineering processes without direct management responsibility.

Why This Role Matters

As the Staff Controls Engineer, you will define the technical foundation for Anode's controls platform. Your decisions will shape the architecture, development practices, and long-term scalability of our embedded software. Beyond building features, you'll influence product strategy, mentor engineers, and help establish the engineering culture that enables Anode to deliver safe, reliable, and industry‑leading mobile energy systems.