Control Systems - Staff Architect

RFA Engineering•Golden Valley, MN

91d•Onsite

About The Position

This role is responsible for defining the overall controls strategy, electrical integration approach, and system-level design standards that ensure performance, reliability, and scalability across product platforms. The ideal candidate has deep expertise in motor control, variable frequency drives (VFDs), power systems, and control algorithms, and is experienced in developing robust control architectures for electrically and environmentally demanding applications. This individual serves as a senior technical authority, guiding design direction, mentoring engineers, and ensuring alignment across multidisciplinary teams.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering (Master’s degree preferred).
Minimum 10 years of experience in control systems and electrical system design for industrial equipment.
Strong background in motor control, VFDs, and power distribution systems.
Demonstrated experience developing control system architectures and advanced control algorithms.
Experience designing and validating systems to meet EMC compliance requirements.
Proven ability to analyze and resolve complex system-level electrical and controls issues.

Nice To Haves

Experience with industrial thermal management, HVAC, or fluid cooling systems.
Background in system-level design for equipment operating in electrically or environmentally harsh conditions.
Experience mentoring junior engineers or serving in a technical lead capacity.

Responsibilities

Define and maintain the controls system architecture for electrical power, motor drive, and control systems used in thermal management equipment.
Lead technical strategy for control algorithms, system behavior, and integration of motors, drives, and power delivery components.
Establish design standards, best practices, and interface definitions for electrical and controls integration across programs.
Guide the development and execution of verification and validation strategies to confirm system functionality, performance, and reliability.
Ensure system designs meet EMC requirements and applicable industry standards, incorporating robust electrical design practices.
Provide technical leadership in root cause investigations related to controls and electrical system failures and drive corrective actions.
Support resolution of field and production issues, ensuring long-term improvements to system robustness.
Serve as a technical mentor and subject matter expert for controls and electrical engineers.
Collaborate with project engineering, program management, manufacturing, and marketing to align system capabilities with customer and product requirements.