Mechanisms Engineer (III or Senior), Motor Control

True Anomaly•Long Beach, CA

17d•$105,000 - $185,000•Onsite

About The Position

True Anomaly is seeking a talented and experienced Motor Control Engineer at the Mid-career or Senior level to join our Mechanisms team, reporting to the Mechanisms Engineering Manager. In this role, you will own both the drive electronics hardware and the embedded firmware for precision motor-driven actuation systems on our orbital platforms. You will design and develop custom motor drive circuits, closed-loop servo control algorithms, and the embedded software that ties them together — delivering vertically integrated solutions built for the demanding thermal, radiation, and reliability requirements of spaceflight. You bring equal depth in hardware and firmware, thrive in a hands-on environment, and take pride in seeing your work perform on-orbit.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field (Master's preferred)
5+ years of professional experience in motor control system design, with demonstrated depth in both drive electronics hardware and embedded firmware
Experience with brushless DC and/or stepper motor drive circuit design, including power stage, gate driver, and current sensing topologies
Experience implementing closed-loop motor control algorithms including FOC, BLDC commutation, and PID-based servo control in embedded firmware
Proficiency in embedded C or C++ for real-time motor control applications
Familiarity with common embedded communication interfaces (SPI, I2C, UART, CAN) and their application in motor drive systems
Experience with hardware bring-up, debug, and characterization using lab test equipment
Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Nice To Haves

Experience with space-qualified or high-reliability motor drive electronics for vacuum and radiation environments
Familiarity with precision pointing or tracking system requirements and GNC interface design
Experience with motor control using DSPs, FPGAs, or microcontrollers (STM32, TI C2000, or similar)
Knowledge of magnetic bearing or brushless motor design and winding analysis
Experience with thermal analysis and thermal management of power electronics in SWaP-constrained designs
Familiarity with applicable aerospace standards (MIL-STD-704, MIL-STD-461, EEE-INST-002)
Experience working in a fast-paced, startup environment or a similarly dynamic setting

Responsibilities

Design and develop motor drive electronics for brushless DC and stepper motor systems, including gate driver circuits, current sensing, power stage design, and EMI mitigation
Develop and implement embedded firmware for closed-loop motor control, including FOC/BLDC commutation algorithms, PID and advanced control loops, and fault detection and handling
Perform motor and drive system characterization, including torque-speed profiling, efficiency mapping, and thermal analysis
Collaborate closely with the GNC team to develop and validate closed-loop pointing, stabilization, and tracking control for precision actuation applications
Define and execute motor drive hardware bring-up, integration, and qualification test campaigns
Support system-level integration of motor control electronics and firmware with spacecraft avionics and flight software
Develop and maintain design documentation including schematics, firmware architecture, test plans, and analysis reports
Contribute to component selection, trade studies, and design reviews across the mechanisms product portfolio
Mentor junior engineers and contribute to continuous improvement of mechanisms engineering processes and practices