Principal Power Controls Engineer

Anduril • Costa Mesa, CA

5d

About The Position

Anduril is seeking an experienced Principal Power Controls Engineer to act as a subject matter expert developing and implementing advanced control algorithms for high-performance power electronic systems. The engineer will own control architecture for DC/DC converters, inverters, and motor drives built around discrete SiC and GaN power stages, taking controls concepts from simulation through hardware validation. The role works closely with power hardware and firmware engineers to deliver tightly integrated, high-reliability systems for defense and aerospace applications.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 15+ years of experience designing and tuning digital control loops for power electronic converters, including DC/DC, DC/AC, or motor drives.
• Proficiency in Simulink and/or PLECS for control system modeling, simulation, and analysis.
• Strong foundation in control theory, including z-domain and s-domain design, Bode analysis, state-space methods, and discrete-time implementation considerations.
• Hands-on experience with discrete SiC and/or GaN FET-based power stages in the multi-kW range.
• Familiarity with military or aerospace environments and standards such as MIL-STD-461, MIL-STD-464, MIL-STD-810, or DO-160.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance.

Nice To Haves

• Master's or Ph.D. with a focus in power electronics controls or control systems.
• Experience writing embedded firmware in C/C++ for microcontrollers or DSPs used in power converter control, such as TI C2000 or STM32.
• Familiarity with auto-code generation from Simulink (Embedded Coder) or similar model-based design toolchains.
• Experience with real-time HIL platforms such as Typhoon HIL, dSPACE, or OPAL-RT.
• Knowledge of advanced modulation techniques such as SVM and DPWM and their impact on switching losses in wide-bandgap devices.
• Design-for-Reliability practices, including DFMEA.
• Experience with EMI mitigation strategies at the controls and layout level.

Responsibilities

• Design, simulate, and validate closed-loop control algorithms for switch-mode power converters and inverters using Simulink and/or PLECS.
• Develop controls for three-phase AC systems, with and without a switched neutral.
• Develop plant models and controller architectures, including voltage-mode, current-mode, and sensorless FOC, for multi-kW power stages using discrete SiC and GaN FETs.
• Perform stability analysis, loop shaping, and compensator design to meet transient response, efficiency, and EMI targets.
• Collaborate with power hardware engineers on gate-drive tuning, dead-time optimization, and switching-loss characterization of wide-bandgap devices.
• Support model-based code-generation workflows and work with firmware engineers to translate control designs into embedded implementations.
• Define and execute hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) and power-hardware-in-the-loop (PHIL) test plans to validate control performance against system requirements.
• Contribute to trade studies on converter topology, modulation strategy, and control bandwidth in relation to size, weight, power, and thermal constraints.

Benefits

• Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full-time offers and are considered part of Anduril's total compensation package.
• Top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including a comprehensive, competitive benefits package available at little to no cost to employees.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal