Control System Engineer

Here at The Exploration Company, we are building innovative aerospace technologies that advance the future of space transportation. We are developing the control application for throttleable rocket engines. The team is responsible for designing, implementing, testing, and validating the closed-loop control and operational logic that allows the engine to operate safely and accurately across its operating envelope. We are looking for a Control System and Model-Based Design Engineer to support both control algorithm development and application logic implementation. The role is suited for an intermediate engineer, or a strong junior, with good control fundamentals and practical experience developing control functions for real-world systems. The objective is to help mature the engine control application, from early simulation and control design to MIL/SIL/HIL validation and analysis of real test data. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES / TASKS - Design, tune, implement, and validate closed-loop control functions for fluidic systems, such as pressure, flow rate, pump speed, and valve position control. - Develop Simulink functions for control logic, sequencing, state machines, mode management, enable logic, limiters, protections, diagnostics, and actuator command generation. - Build and use control-oriented models, simulations, and test-data replay workflows to support design and validation. - Analyze controller performance, stability, robustness, actuator saturation, sensor limitations, delays, nonlinearities, and operating envelope constraints. - Implement practical control features such as PID, feedforward, filtering, gain scheduling, anti-windup, bumpless transfer, and mode-dependent control logic. - Support MIL, SIL, HIL, and test-data analysis activities to verify the behaviour of the control application before deployment. - Document design choices, assumptions, interfaces, validation results, limitations, and remaining risks. - Work closely with propulsion, embedded software, electronics, test, modelling, and systems engineering teams. WHAT WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE FROM YOU - Engineering degree or equivalent experience in control systems, aerospace, electrical, mechanical, automotive, robotics, or a related field. - Practical experience developing functions in MATLAB/Simulink. - Good understanding of feedback control, system dynamics, stability, filtering, and controller tuning. - Experience implementing and testing control or embedded application logic for a real physical system. - Ability to analyze logs, simulation results, and test data to understand system behaviour and improve the design. - Experience with state machines, mode logic, diagnostics, calibration, validation, or production-style Simulink models would be highly appreciated. - Familiarity with state estimation, system identification, optimization or robust control would be a strong plus. - Experience with MIL, SIL, HIL, automatic code generation, or embedded control workflows would be appreciated. - Experience in automotive, aerospace, propulsion, robotics, energy, industrial automation, or another safety-critical dynamic system would be highly relevant. Why you should join us! What makes us special here at The Exploration Company and why we think you will enjoy working here is:   - We’re Agile - we make decisions fast whilst keeping our goals and systems in mind  - We’re Open and Collaborative - we are transparent about risks and obstacles, so that we can cooperate to overcome them   - We have a lot of Fun - we refuel our energy knowing we are democratising space. It’s a wonderful and rare opportunity, are YOU up for the challenge?   We'd love to hear from you if you wish to be a part of our journey. Please submit your CV now for immediate consideration and we will be in touch shortly.    The Exploration Company is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status. Relocation assistance is provided for those willing to relocate including visa sponsorship where applicable.   All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check, which will be subject to the country, role, and project you applied for. By submitting your application, you acknowledge and agree that any offer of employment may be conditional upon successful condition of this check. The Exploration Company partners with Zinc Work Limited located in the UK (Zinc), a third-party provider, to ensure this process as efficient and transparent as possible. If applicable, you will receive an email from Zinc upon acceptance of your offer with a link to a secure portal where you can provide the required information to Zinc.