Senior Controls Engineer

Wabtec•Erie, PA

32d•$104,800 - $149,300•Onsite

About The Position

As the Senior Controls Design Engineer, you will serve as the lead technical contributor within a controls engineering team responsible for the Trip Optimizer Energy Management/Cruise Control system for heavy haul freight locomotives. The role combines hands-on controls development with technical leadership in prioritizing and executing work across product enhancements, field support, and long-term product evolution.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or other engineering discipline with a controls or dynamic systems focus
Demonstrated proficiency in model-based control system design and development using MATLAB/Simulink
Minimum 8 years of engineering experience
Willingness and ability to travel up to 10% of the time

Nice To Haves

Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Experience with feedback control systems, dynamic system modeling, or estimation techniques.
Demonstrated ability to coordinate technical activities, establish priorities, and balance field support, product enhancements, and long-term engineering objectives.
Experience mentoring engineers and providing technical leadership through collaboration, design reviews, and knowledge sharing.
Experience investigating field issues, performing root-cause analysis, and implementing corrective actions.
Experience analyzing operational, test, or field data to evaluate control system performance and identify improvement opportunities.
Familiarity with locomotive systems, train operations, vehicle dynamics, or rail transportation systems.
Master's degree or advanced study in controls, robotics, autonomous systems, estimation, optimization, or dynamic system modeling.

Responsibilities

Lead the design of train control algorithms and system functionality, including control strategies, estimation methods, performance analysis, and technical specifications for freight train cruise control and train handling applications.
Develop, implement, and validate control system solutions using MATLAB/Simulink and related engineering tools, supporting simulation, validation, testing, and release of control system functionality.
Coordinate technical activities within a team of controls engineers, helping establish priorities, remove obstacles, and maintain steady progress across field issue resolution, new feature development, and long-term product evolution.
Analyze field performance data, investigate reported issues, determine root causes, and drive effective corrective actions.
Collaborate with systems, software, and product teams to deliver robust and practical solutions.
Provide technical guidance and mentorship to other engineers through design reviews, collaborative problem solving, and knowledge sharing.
Contribute to the long-term technical roadmap for train control capabilities and continuous product improvement.