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Roadrunner Venture Studios · 2 days ago

Controls Engineer

Knoxville, TN

Full-time

Onsite

Mid Level

Roadrunner Venture Studios is partnering with a cutting-edge startup, Perseus Materials, to revolutionize manufacturing systems for large-scale composite parts. In this role, you will design and control the systems that enable high-precision manufacturing, working with a hands-on approach to integrate and optimize complex machinery.

Information TechnologyTechnical SupportVenture Capital

Responsibilities

Aid in design and implement key control architectures for our large-scale manufacturing systems (controllers/PLCs, HMIs, I/O, communications)

Develop control logic for motion, force/tension control, heating/curing, and other key operations

Select and integrate controllers, drives, sensors, and related hardware so the system is responsive, stable, and debuggable

Lead integration and calibration of sensors (temperature, pressure, flow, position, speed, etc.) and ensure signals are clean and usable

Build and iterate on test rigs and prototypes; tune and debug control schemes (PID, multi-loop, state machines)

Commission new equipment: bring-up, I/O checkout, tuning, and optimization under real operating conditions

Set up data acquisition and simple tools (scripts, plots, dashboards) to visualize system behavior and support troubleshooting

Work closely with chemists, materials scientists, and mechanical engineers to connect machine behavior to material performance and customer needs

Qualification

Control architecturesElectrical engineeringData acquisitionCAD designComposite materialsSensor integrationStartup experienceCuriosityBuilder's mindset

Required

Familiarity with machine building, electrical, and coding systems including 32, Teensy, Raspberry Pi Pico, Arduino, etc

Experience in electrical engineering and electrical safety

CAD design experience, preferable SolidWorks

Experience with various sensors for process monitoring; for example: have evaluated multiple mechanisms to measure fluid temperature including thermocouples, thermistors, IR sensors, etc

Self starter who can operate with minimal direction and take initiative Naturally curious and eager to learn new tools, materials, and techniques

Experience in a startup or R&D environment

Experience with streamlining data acquisition, manipulation, and analytics/visualization

Experience with large-scale continuous processes

Experience with composite materials

A builder's mindset: you like to own systems, close loops, and leave things working better than you found them