Principal Engineer, Controls Software

Job Title: Principal Engineer, Controls Software Job Description The Principal Engineer, Controls Software leads the design, development, and validation of gas turbine engine control systems across both software and hardware domains. This role owns the full controls lifecycle—from requirements definition, modeling, and simulation through hardware/software integration, test leadership, and system validation—while providing strong technical leadership in a fast-paced, mission-driven aerospace environment focused on advanced additive-manufactured jet engines. Responsibilities Lead the design, development, and validation of engine control system software, including control laws, modeling, and simulation to support gas turbine engine performance targets. Define and document software requirements for engine control systems, ensuring traceability from system-level requirements to implementation. Develop control software code and block diagrams, using modeling tools to accurately represent control logic and system behavior. Analyze test vectors and simulation results to predict engine behavior and verify that control laws meet performance, stability, and safety requirements. Drive configuration-controlled releases of control system software, ensuring proper version control, documentation, and change management. Support the design and validation of engine control hardware, including actuators, pumps, sensors, fuel and lube systems, and auxiliary components. Partner closely with software, hardware, and systems teams to ensure seamless hardware/software integration and alignment of performance requirements. Contribute to the development and validation of electronic engine control systems, including full authority digital engine control architectures. Execute control law tuning in both time and frequency domains to achieve required system response, stability margins, and robustness. Build, refine, and correlate dynamic models to match engine and actuator performance observed during testing. Integrate controls models into hardware-in-the-loop and software-in-the-loop environments to support integrated system validation. Lead engine and component test programs from a controls perspective, ensuring that test plans adequately exercise control logic and system interfaces. Define test objectives, instrumentation strategies, and data requirements to validate overall engine control system performance. Support simulator design, commissioning, and integration testing to enable realistic evaluation of control software and hardware. Interface with performance, mechanical, aero, and systems engineering teams to optimize overall engine performance and ensure cohesive system design. Lead and contribute to design reviews across controls, stress, life, materials, and system analysis disciplines, providing expert technical input and critique. Support additive manufacturing initiatives by advising on control system and hardware design improvements that leverage additive capabilities. Ensure strong technical documentation, including design descriptions, analysis reports, test plans, and test reports, while championing engineering best practices. Provide technical leadership and mentorship within cross-functional teams, helping to drive program execution and alignment with mission and schedule goals. Continuously identify opportunities for innovation and process improvement in controls development, modeling, integration, and test activities. Essential Skills Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from an accredited program. 12+ years of experience in gas turbine or engine control systems, with direct responsibility for controls software and system performance. Hands-on experience with controls development tools such as MATLAB and Simulink for modeling, simulation, and control law implementation. Demonstrated experience in controls software development, including control laws, modeling, simulation, and validation. Background in electronic engine control systems and full authority digital engine control architectures. Experience working with sensors, fuel and lube systems, actuators, pumps, and auxiliary engine components within an integrated control system. Proven experience with hardware-in-the-loop and software-in-the-loop environments and integrated system validation. Strong technical leadership skills with a track record of leading complex controls development and test programs. Ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, cross-functional environments with evolving requirements and aggressive schedules. Excellent communication skills, with the ability to align stakeholders, p