Controls Engineer

Hybrid/Electric Vehicle Controls Engineer

Location: Sterling Heights, MI

Pay: $45–$55/hour

Job Type: Contract

Work Authorization: U.S. Citizen or Green Card holder required

Position Overview

FEV is seeking an experienced Hybrid/Electric Vehicle Controls Engineer to support the development and integration of advanced electrified powertrain systems. This position focuses on high-voltage system integration, embedded controls, vehicle bring-up, troubleshooting, and validation for automotive and defense vehicle programs.

The engineer will collaborate directly with customers and cross-functional teams to develop controls strategies, integrate hardware and software, resolve technical issues, and prepare systems for testing and validation.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize embedded control strategies for electric and hybrid propulsion systems.
• Develop, review, and troubleshoot embedded C software and real-time control logic.
• Define system requirements, component interfaces, I/O, communication protocols, and high- and low-voltage interactions.
• Support vehicle integration, prototype start-up, troubleshooting, and customer-site engineering activities.
• Evaluate controls architecture, firmware, validation coverage, and overall system maturity.
• Develop plant models and simulations for electrified powertrain components and systems.
• Conduct MiL, SiL, HiL, bench, dynamometer, and vehicle-level testing.
• Support DVP&R execution and structured validation reporting.
• Use Vector CANoe, CANalyzer, CANape, or similar tools to analyze CAN traffic and diagnose integration issues.
• Collaborate with electrical hardware, software, diagnostics, functional safety, validation, prototype-build, and customer engineering teams.
• Follow automotive and defense engineering standards, safe high-voltage practices, and documentation requirements.
• Lead technical reviews, issue resolution, project updates, and customer communications.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechatronics, Controls Engineering, or a related field.
• At least three years of experience in EV/HEV controls, embedded controls development, or vehicle/powertrain integration.
• Understanding of electric and hybrid powertrain architectures and high-voltage system interfaces.
• Experience developing, debugging, or integrating embedded C software, including real-time or bare-metal code.
• Experience with MATLAB, Simulink, Stateflow, or comparable controls-development tools.
• Experience with Vector CANoe, CANalyzer, CANape, or equivalent diagnostic and calibration tools.
• Knowledge of CAN communication, electronic control architectures, and vehicle network diagnostics.
• Ability to interpret electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, interface-control documents, and component requirements.
• Knowledge of sensors, actuators, high-voltage hardware, and electrified powertrain components.
• Ability to support customer-facing integration and on-site troubleshooting activities.
• Eligibility to support ITAR-controlled or customer-restricted programs.
• Strong communication, organization, problem-solving, and time-management skills.
• Ability to work independently and within a fast-paced engineering team.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a relevant engineering discipline.
• Five or more years of real-time embedded e-powertrain controls experience.
• C/C++ programming experience.
• Experience with batteries, inverters, DC/DC converters, chargers, HVIL, precharge systems, contactors, power electronics, and fault handling.
• Experience with dSPACE, MicroAutoBox, SCALEXIO, or similar rapid-control prototyping and testing platforms.
• Familiarity with IBM DOORS, ETAS INCA, Embedded Coder, or AUTOSAR.
• Knowledge of ISO 26262, functional safety, DVP&R, DFMEA/FMEA, and requirements traceability.
• Experience with defense, military, off-highway, commercial vehicle, or prototype-development programs.
• Familiarity with EMC, environmental testing, and ruggedized vehicle-integration requirements.
• Experience leading technical issue resolution across hardware, controls, software, diagnostics, and validation teams.