Systems Engineer III (Controls)

U.S. Water Heating; Montgomery (AL); On-site; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Water Heating is seeking a Systems Engineer III (Controls) in Montgomery, AL. The role involves extending system engineering practices into product-level electronic controller design, partnering with various teams to deliver features on time while ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.

The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor’s in Engineering, at least 5 years of relevant experience, and strong skills in project management and requirements traceability. This position is onsite and supports the Enterprise division.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive experience developing products or testing embedded microprocessor-based controls.
• 3+ years of experience in interpreting schematic and mechanical diagrams.
• Experience managing embedded systems development over the entire product lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Translate product needs into clear, testable controller system requirements.
• Define controller system architecture and maintain interface control documents.
• Plan and drive system work product reviews, ensuring documentation release.

Skills

Project Management

Electronic Control Systems

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Requirements Traceability

Functional Safety Standards

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Tools

SysML

JIRA

Job description

In the role of Systems Engineer III (Controls) you will extend system engineering practices into product-level electronic controller design by collaborating with cross-functional teams to define, document, and validate controller system requirements and architecture, ensuring robust, compliant, and manufacturable solutions. Serve as an independent individual contributor who partners closely with project management, hardware, firmware, test, manufacturing, and service teams to deliver features on time with clear traceability and verification evidence.

This role supports our Enterprise division in Montgomery, AL, or Roswell, GA (Onsite).

Responsibilities

• Translate product needs into clear, testable controller system requirements and maintain them through the product lifecycle.
• Define controller system architecture at the functional-block level (inputs, outputs, interfaces, modes) and maintain interface control documents (ICDs).
• Support and partner with project management for electronic control system development and verification activities, ensuring projects are executed efficiently and effectively.
• Plan and drive system work product reviews, track and close action items, and own on-time release of system engineering documentation.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to continuously improve system work products, processes, and quality criteria.
• Engage with software, hardware, test, and product development teams throughout the product life cycle, ensuring seamless integration of system engineering work products.
• Utilize systems engineering tools to create and maintain a requirements traceability matrix that maps controller requirements to associated verification activities and results; participate in and sometimes lead system-level verification activities.
• Participate in product design reviews to ensure products meet hardware and software feature requirements from a systems perspective.
• Coordinate with manufacturing engineering and suppliers to define manufacturing test requirements and review control documentation (not hands‑on fixture design).
• Support customer service and training teams with system-level documentation, configuration guidance, and issue triage to drive customer satisfaction.
• Ensure compliance with applicable regulatory and functional safety standards by contributing to requirements, verification evidence, and documentation prepared for agency reviews (e.g., UL, IEC, CE).

Qualifications

• Requires a bachelor’s or foreign equivalent degree in Engineering (Electrical, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field)
• Requires 5+ years of progressive experience developing products or testing embedded microprocessor-based controls.
• Must have demonstrated 3+ years of experience in reading and implementing technical procedures and government regulations, as well as interpreting schematic, electrical, and mechanical diagrams.
• Applying functional safety standards and/or agency certification requirements (e.g., UL, IEC, CE or other regulatory bodies) within a product development context.
• Working with cross-functional teams, including product managers, engineers, business teams, and external subject matter experts.
• Managing embedded systems development over the entire product lifecycle.
• Working with product and component level FMEAs and electronics failure analysis.
• Delivering system-level work products for electronic controls (e.g., requirements, interface definitions, architecture models) and collaborating with electronics or embedded software teams; hands‑on circuit or firmware ownership is not required for this role.
• Authoring and maintaining system requirements, performing requirements allocation, maintaining traceability, and developing/executing system-level test cases.
• Proven ability to “drive” systems engineering deliverables (e.g., requirements baselining, reviews, traceability closure, verification reporting) across a project as an individual contributor in collaboration with a project manager.
• Experience may be, but need not be, acquired concurrently.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) methods and tools (e.g., SysML).
• Exposure to Jama/DOORS/Polarion (or equivalent) for requirements management, and defect management tools (e.g., JIRA).
• Familiarity with HVAC/water heating domain controls or electromechanical systems.