Controls & Mechatronics Engineer

Janicki Industries•Hamilton, WA

18h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Controls & Mechatronics Engineer designs, builds, and tunes the physical control systems that make our industrial robots move, grip, sand, and manipulate heavy objects safely. This role bridges mechanical and electrical engineering with control theory. You will work with motors, actuators, servo drives, safety systems, and industrial robotic arms (KUKA or similar), writing and tuning the low-level control software that translates high-level commands into precise physical actions on AGVs with wheeled or tracked drive systems carrying payloads up to 50,000 lb.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, or closely related field
Willingness to work on-site at our Hamilton, WA facility
US Citizen or of Legal Permanent Resident Status
Ability to obtain a U.S. Secret Security Clearance
Agreed to enter a Continuous Evaluation program

Nice To Haves

Experience with industrial robotic arm programming and integration (KUKA KRL, ABB RAPID, Fanuc TP/Karel, or UR Script)
Hands-on experience with motor control, servo systems, or industrial motion control
Knowledge of industrial communication protocols (CAN bus, EtherCAT, Modbus, PROFINET)
Experience with PLC programming (Siemens, Allen-Bradley, Beckhoff TwinCAT)
Familiarity with functional safety standards (ISO 13849, IEC 62061, ISO 10218)
Programming skills in Python, C/C++, or MATLAB/Simulink
Experience with electrical design tools (AutoCAD Electrical, EPLAN)
Experience designing control systems for heavy machinery, AGVs, or large mobile platforms
Experience with hydraulic or high-power electric drive systems
Background in manufacturing environments, particularly aerospace or composites
Familiarity with sensor technologies (encoders, force/torque sensors, proximity sensors)
Master’s or Ph.D. in Controls, Mechatronics, or Mechanical Engineering

Responsibilities

Design and implement vehicle-level control systems for heavy AGV platforms including drive control, steering, and braking
Configure, program, and tune industrial robotic arms (KUKA or equivalent) for pick-and-place, sanding, and material handling operations
Develop control interfaces and tool-change protocols for interchangeable end effectors (grippers, sanders, specialized tooling)
Select and specify actuators, drives, sensors, and power systems for robot configurations
Design and implement safety-rated control functions (emergency stop, safe speed monitoring, force/torque limiting) compliant with relevant industrial standards
Perform hardware testing including actuator characterization, sensor calibration, and safety system verification
Collaborate with navigation and perception engineers to implement coordinated mobile manipulation behaviors