Controls Engineer Team Lead

About Pratt Miller, an Oshkosh company

Pratt Miller is a product development company in motorsports, defense, and mobility industries providing clients with product engineering and low-volume production solutions. Our range of research & development, engineering, prototype manufacturing, test & validation, and low-rate production capability help our customers bring their high-quality products to market faster.

As the Embedded Software & Controls Team Lead, you will lead a small team responsible for end-to-end controls architecture, embedded software development, system modeling, integration, and validation. This role balances technical leadership (approx. 70%) with people management and mentorship (approx. 30%), guiding 2 to 7 engineers in delivering robust, high-reliability control systems for advanced mobility, robotic, and defense platforms.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND SKILLS: Typical responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

1. Team Leadership & People Management

• Supervise, mentor, and manage performance for 2-7 direct reports.
• Drive team goal-setting, technical development, and employee retention.
• Assist with engineering recruitment, screening, and technical interviews.
• Support department budgeting, resource planning, and effort estimation.

2. Technical Leadership & Architecture

• Lead the technical execution of embedded software and control system projects
• Define system-level control architectures, software interfaces, communication protocols, and functional requirements.
• Support code review processes, and ensure adherence to software development processes, safety and quality guidelines (e.g., MISRA, ISO 26262, MIL 882E).

• Support cross-functional coordination, customer reviews, and proposal efforts.

3. System Modeling, Simulation & Controls Design

• Develop multi-domain models for mechanical, electrical, and hydraulic systems.
• Design and tune classical and modern control algorithms (PID, state-space, MPC).
• Execute Model-in-the-Loop (MIL) and Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) simulations.
• Correlate and validate simulation models against empirical test data.

4. Embedded Software & Hardware Integration

• Oversee embedded software implementation in C/C++ and Model-Based Design auto-coded targets (Simulink Coder / Embedded Coder).
• Specify microcontroller/ECU hardware, sensor interfaces, and actuator requirements

• Lead bench bring-up, HIL testing, and hands-on system troubleshooting.
• Implement and test automotive, industrial, and MIL bus protocols (CAN, J1939, CANopen, Ethernet, EtherCAT, DDS, TSN).

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical/Mechatronics Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Experience: BS or MS in Automotive, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or Mechatronic Systems w/ 6+ years of engineering experience
• Leadership: Demonstrated experience leading technical projects, mentoring junior/mid-level engineers, or serving in a team lead capacity.
• Core Controls & Modeling: Proficiency in MATLAB / Simulink / Stateflow for algorithm design and physical system modeling.
• Embedded Development: Strong hands-on proficiency with C/C++ for real-time operating systems (RTOS), bare-metal microcontrollers, or embedded Linux.
• Communication & Protocols: Practical experience with bus protocols and diagnostic tools (e.g., CAN/CAN-FD, J1939, Vector CANalyzer/CANoe; Ethernet/Ethercat, DDS, Wireshark).
• Integration & Troubleshooting: Proven track record of debugging hardware/software issues using test and measurement equipment, data acquisition (DAQ) systems.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior formal direct-report management experience (performance reviews, hiring).
• Experience with functional safety standards (ISO 26262, IEC 61508, MIL-882E)
• Experience with commercial rapid-prototyping ECUs (e.g., dSPACE, Raptor, MotoHawk, OpenECU).
• Experience with electric/hybrid powertrains, motor controls, or electro-hydraulic by-wire systems.
• Familiarity with modern software workflows: Git, CI/CD pipelines for embedded targets, automated unit testing, and static analysis (MISRA C/C++).
• Experience with multi-body dynamics or full-vehicle simulation tools (e.g., CarSim, TruckSim, Simscape, Dymola, FMI/FMU).

Working Conditions & Travel

• Schedule: Standard daytime business hours (Monday-Friday) with flexibility required during critical integration or test milestones.
• Physical Demands: Role involves a mix of office engineering, lab bench testing, and occasional hands-on work in vehicle/test-bay environments.
• Travel: Up to 10-15% travel for customer meetings, field testing, or on-site commissioning.

Pay Range:

The above pay range reflects the minimum and maximum target pay for the position across all U.S. locations. Within this range, individual pay is determined by various factors, including the scope and responsibilities of the role, the candidate's experience, education and skills, as well as the equity of pay among team members in similar positions. Beyond offering a competitive total rewards package, we prioritize a people-first culture and offer various opportunities to support team member growth and success.

Oshkosh is committed to working with and offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability for any part of the recruitment process, please contact our talent acquisition team by email [email protected].

Oshkosh Corporation is a merit-based Equal Opportunity Employer. Job opportunities are open for application to all qualified individuals and selection decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or other protected characteristic. To the extent that information is provided or collected regarding categories as provided by law it will in no way affect the decision regarding an employment application.

Oshkosh Corporation will not discharge or in any manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with Oshkosh Corporation's legal duty to furnish information.

Certain positions with Oshkosh Corporation require access to controlled goods and technologies subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations or the Export Administration Regulations. Applicants for these positions may need to be "U.S. Persons," as defined in these regulations. Generally, a "U.S. Person" is a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or an individual who has been admitted as a refugee or granted asylum.