R&D Controls Engineer

ADDiTEC • Durham, NC

3d

About The Position

We are seeking a driven and curious R&D Controls Engineer to join our team developing next-generation metal additive manufacturing systems, including Liquid Metal Jetting (LMJ) and Laser-Assisted Directed Energy Deposition (DED) 3D printers. You'll work at the intersection of laser physics, thermal control, CNC/PLC programming, and real-time systems. The role involves designing control architectures that coordinate sensors and actuators at interpolation cycle rates, developing advanced waveform generation for electromagnetic coil drivers, and collaborating with an external automation integrator (similar to a CSI-type relationship) to push the Siemens Sinumerik platform for additive manufacturing R&D. We value mindset over checkbox credentials. If you have a solid controls or automation foundation and the self-motivation to learn new systems quickly, this role will give you the opportunity to work on problems that very few teams in the world are tackling.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Controls Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, or Mechanical Engineering with controls focus (or equivalent demonstrated experience).
• 2+ years of experience designing and implementing closed-loop control systems in industrial or R&D environments.
• Strong foundation in classical control theory: PID tuning, stability analysis, frequency response, and system identification.
• Hands-on PLC programming experience (Siemens, Beckhoff, Allen-Bradley, or similar industrial automation platforms).
• Experience with real-time sensor integration (pyrometers, thermocouples, photodiodes, or similar high-speed analog instrumentation).
• Experience configuring and commissioning industrial motion control systems (multi-axis CNC, servo drives, or motion controllers).
• Ability to read, develop, and troubleshoot electrical schematics and control panel wiring.
• Proficiency with at least one industrial communication protocol (EtherCAT, PROFINET, Ethernet/IP).

Nice To Haves

• Experience with Siemens Sinumerik CNC systems — synchronized actions ($A_INA, $A_OUTA, WHENEVER/DO), structured text, machine data configuration.
• Experience with Beckhoff TwinCAT or similar real-time platforms.
• Familiarity with laser systems — power modulation, analog control interfaces, safety interlocks.
• Experience with non-contact temperature measurement (pyrometry) including spectral filtering and emissivity considerations.
• Background in thermal process control (welding, heat treatment, laser processing, or additive manufacturing).
• Knowledge of advanced control methods: feedforward compensation, Smith predictors for transport delay, gain scheduling, or model-predictive control.
• Electronics design experience — particularly H-bridge circuits, high-current motor drivers, or power electronics.
• FPGA or microcontroller programming for custom waveform generation or high-speed signal processing.
• Familiarity with G-code/CNC part program structure and post-processor development.
• Experience with machine safety systems (STO, SS1, SLS) and relevant standards (IEC 62443, ISO 13849).

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and tune closed-loop control systems for real-time thermal management during metal additive manufacturing.
• Develop PLC logic and CNC synchronized actions for coordinating printing.
• Implement PID and advanced control strategies (feedforward, adaptive gain scheduling).
• Architect and configure CNC/PLC analog and digital I/O for integrating sensors (pyrometers, thermocouples) and actuators (laser power supplies, shutters, micro-motor pyrometer steering).
• Develop and validate control algorithms that adapt to varying print speeds, toolpath geometries, and thermal conditions.
• Develop advanced waveform generation for electromagnetic coil drivers — including sub-thresholding pulse patterns, variable pulse widths, and complex frequency profiles using the Prio card or equivalent hardware.
• Collaborate with the print optimization and path planning team to ensure control strategies align with toolpath direction, speed profiles, and feature-type transitions.
• Serve as the internal bridge to automation integrators and Siemens support for CNC/PLC platform issues.
• Instrument and characterize system dynamics — measure plant transfer functions, identify thermal time constants, and size controller bandwidth accordingly.
• Support machine commissioning, integration testing, and design-of-experiments for process development.
• Maintain rigorous documentation of control architectures, tuning parameters, commissioning procedures, and test results.

Benefits

• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance
• Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package
• Opportunity to work on cutting-edge metal additive manufacturing technology at the frontier of closed-loop process control
• Direct impact on product development — your control systems directly determine print quality and material properties
• A collaborative, low-ego team environment focused on innovation and execution
• Exposure to multidisciplinary challenges spanning controls, laser physics, materials science, and CNC systems
• A culture that values curiosity, initiative, and continuous improvement

What This Job Offers

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