Controls Systems Engineer (fmd)

Focused Energy is an international deep-tech company based in Germany and the US working to commercialize laser-driven nuclear fusion. Our mission is to provide clean safe and virtually unlimited energy to the world. We are rapidly scaling and looking for talented individuals who thrive in building clarity and structure within fast-growing environments.

Join us as a Control Systems Engineer and help to provide the clean energy of the this role you will lead the design and delivery of critical control systems across our experimental and production environments in Germany and the USA and work closely with a passionate crossfunctional team.

You will report to the Controls Engineering Lead and join a small collaborative team of 35 engineers. The role is hybrid with the expectation of occasional travel to our Austin TX site. Working hours follow standard business schedules and on-call needs are minimal and largely confined to regular working hours.

• Lead the design and development of PLC-based control subsystems supporting cutting-edge laser fusion technologies and work in collaboration with scientists and engineers to gather requirements and iterate solutions.

• Own the integration and control systems for critical experiment support infrastructure such as vacuum pneumatics and cooling plant.

• Develop control software for modern PLCs such as Beckhoff TwinCAT in Structured Text (IEC 61131-3) for machine safety and process control systems.

• Commission complex experimental equipment together with scientists and engineers including field debugging and systematic fault-finding of cutting-edge technology.

• Specify and implement SCADA systems and HMIs including alarms logging data acquisition and database integration.

• Contribute to team standards and solution architecture and mentor junior engineers through design reviews and guidance.

• Degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering Control/Automation Mechatronics/Robotics Physics or similar with a focus on PLC-based control embedded or realtime systems.

• 5 years in plant control systems factory automation embedded software or complex scientific experimental work with significant PLC-based elements.

• Proficient in PLC programming in Structured Text (IEC 61131-3) following good software engineering practice including modularization version control (e.g. Git) and unit testing.

• Knowledge of SCADA systems (e.g. Ignition EPICS Tango WinCC FactoryTalk AVEVA) and hands-on experience of delivering HMIs to stakeholders including alarm and error handling status and data visualization.

• Proficient in reading electrical wiring diagrams and P&IDs collaborating with electrical and mechanical engineering teams to deliver physical systems.

• Familiarity with industrial networking and fieldbus protocols such as EtherCAT OPC UA and Modbus TCP.

• Familiarity with risk assessment processes and relevant safety standards (e.g. ISA 84 IEC 61508).

• Clear communicator in English comfortable working in hybrid and international cross-site teams self-organized and proactive comfortable leading technical discussions and decisions.

• Practical hands-on approach with proven experience in hardware/software integration and a strong track record in debugging and fault-finding on real systems.

Desirable Skills and Knowledge (be sure to highlight any of the following in your application):

• Beckhoff PLCs and TwinCAT.

• DDS (Data Distribution Service) protocol related tools and utilities.

• OPC UA protocol related tools and utilities.

• Design of vacuum control systems.

• Designing control cabinet hardware to EU standards (IEC 60204 -1).

• Safety-critical systems design: safety relays SIL determination LOPA risk assessment.

• Proficiency in at least one higher-level language (LabVIEW Python MATLAB/Simulink C/C).

• Higher LabVIEW qualifications (CLD CLED CLA) and NI hardware experience (PXIe cRIO).

• Other non-PLC embedded or real-time systems (FPGAs RTOS microcontrollers robotics).

• Experience working on complex scientific equipment or large-scale research facilities.

• Image processing and machine vision motion control and robotics.

Focused Energy is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating an inclusive environment. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race color religion sex sexual orientation gender perception or identity national origin age marital status protected veteran status or disability status.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance Focused Energy will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Compensation offered will be determined by factors such as location level job-related knowledge skills and experience. Certain roles may be eligible for incentive compensation equity benefits.

Required Experience:

IC