Control Systems Engineer - Entry Level in Sterling Heights, Michigan at Horstman Inc

Job Title: Control Systems Engineer – Entry Level
Department: 400
Reports To: VP Engineering
FLSA: Exempt
Prepared By: Human Resources

Control Systems Engineer
The Control Systems Engineer supports the design, development, and testing of control systems used in regulated U.S. defense programs. This role works as part of a cross functional engineering team to help deliver reliable and compliant control solutions.

KEY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Technical Responsibilities
• Assist in designing and implementing control algorithms and system level control functions.
• Support development of embedded control architectures, including processors, I/O, diagnostics, and communication networks (CAN, J1939, Ethernet).
• Contribute to creating and maintaining engineering documentation such as requirements, design descriptions, and test results.
• Participate in system modeling, analysis, and verification activities.
• Follow established engineering processes, tools, and configuration management practices.

Compliance & Safety
• Support compliance with U.S. Department of Defense requirements, MIL STD practices, and export control regulations (ITAR/EAR).
• Assist with system safety tasks, hazard reviews, and documentation.
• Follow company health, safety, and regulatory procedures.

Program Support
• Contribute to meeting project schedules, deliverables, and engineering milestones.
• Support coordination with internal teams, customers, and suppliers as needed for technical discussions.
• Assist in tracking technical risks, action items, and project status updates.
• Help prepare documentation and input for design reviews and project reporting.
• Follow program processes for handling controlled technical information and configuration managed data.
• Occasional travel required for installation and testing support at customer facilities and US military proving grounds.
Core Competencies
• Knowledge of control systems, real time embedded software, and related engineering principles.
• Ability to work within defense compliant engineering processes and documentation requirements.
• Understanding systems engineering concepts such as requirements, verification, and configuration control.
• Strong teamwork, communication, and problem solving skills.

Education & Experience

Required:
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Control Systems Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related field.
• CAD (Solidworks and/or Creo) design experience a plus.

Experience Level - Entry
• Typically, 0–2 years of relevant engineering experience.
• Prior exposure to embedded control systems or defense related projects is beneficial.