Senior Controls Software Engineer

Controls Software Engineer

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is hiring a Controls Software Engineer within the Engineering division.

This position has broad latitude to define technical objectives, approaches, and solutions for critical systems supporting the Advanced Light Source (ALS) and ALS Upgrade (ALS-U). The role designs, develops, integrates, and maintains complex control software—primarily using EPICS—to support accelerator, beamline, and experimental systems. Working closely with scientists, engineers, and technical staff, the engineer delivers reliable, high-performance controls for device-level electronics, industrial PLCs, and distributed architectures, and provides technical leadership in system architecture, software standards, and long-term controls strategy for ALS and ALS-U.

Lead Controls Architect: Shaping the Future of the ALS

As a cornerstone of the Advanced Light Source (ALS) and the groundbreaking ALS Upgrade (ALS-U) project, you will hold broad authority to define the technical vision, objectives, and high-level solutions for our most critical systems. This is more than a development role; it is a strategic leadership position where you will architect and integrate complex software ecosystems—primarily leveraging EPICS—to power next-generation accelerators and experimental beamlines.

You will serve as a vital bridge between discovery and engineering, collaborating with elite scientists and technical staff to deliver high-performance controls for everything from device-level electronics to distributed global architectures. By setting the standards for software excellence and long-term controls strategy, you will ensure the ALS remains at the absolute forefront of scientific innovation for decades to come.

You will:

• Design, develop, test, deploy, and maintain control system software for ALS and ALS-U using EPICS and related frameworks (e.g., IOCs, databases, clients, and tools).
• Exercise significant independence in determining software architecture, design approaches, and implementation strategies for complex and mission-critical controls systems.
• Develop EPICS drivers for device-specific digital electronics boards that employ simple network interfaces.
• Ability to configure and program industry-standard PLCs, including providing EPICS interfaces
• Maintain and upgrade the existing EPICS IOCs including VME and cPCI-based systems.
• Provide solutions to current problems and contribute to improvement to existing control systems.
• Develop graphical user interfaces and loggers with standard EPICS tools.
• Assist with commissioning of controls and associated software tools with support from domain scientists.
• Maintain and generate documentation describing work done and systems built.
• Follow standard methodologies for software development in a collaborative environment.
• Assist with improvements to team processes including: source control, issue management, code review, documentation, and testing.
• Integrate control systems with industrial PLC platforms and fieldbus technologies used for machine protection, interlocks, and facility systems.
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring to junior engineers and contribute to controls software best practices, standards, and documentation.
• Participate in system commissioning, troubleshooting, performance optimization, and on-call operational support as required.
• Contribute to long-range planning and upgrades related to controls software architecture, scalability, reliability, and maintainability.
• Ensure compliance with laboratory policies related to safety, cybersecurity, and quality assurance in control system design and implementation.

We are looking for:

• B.S. in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or Physical Sciences with 15+ years of specialized experience in scientific or industrial control environments.
• Expert-level proficiency in EPICS, including writing IOCs and support modules. Deep expertise in interfacing software with controls hardware and a broad knowledge of real-time operating systems (RTEMS, VxWorks).
• Extensive hands-on experience with hardware integration (VME, Compact PCI, Modbus) and low-level programming (C/C++, Python, PLC/Ladder Logic).
• Proven ability to design and maintain high-stakes software systems using modern standards, robust source control, and advanced debugging/troubleshooting in a scientific environment.
• Ability to serve as a global subject matter expert, representing the Lab at international conferences, contributing to open-source communities, and building collaborative relationships with laboratories worldwide.
• Natural aptitude for leading technical projects—from initial cost estimates and scheduling to mentoring junior engineers and fostering an inclusive, high-performing team culture.
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to bridge the gap between physicists, accelerator operators, and multi-disciplinary engineering teams to solve complex integration challenges.

Desired skills/knowledge:

• Advanced degree in Computer Science or Electrical Engineering.
• Experience with the motion controls (ex. Delta Tau Pmac, EtherCAT, Galil).

Additional information:

• Appointment type: This is a full-time career appointment, exempt (monthly paid) from overtime pay.
• Salary range: The expected salary for this position is $217,000 - $266,000, which fits into the full salary of $193,200 - $326,016, depending upon the candidate's skills, knowledge, and abilities. This includes education, certifications, and years of experience.
• Background check: This position is subject to a background check. Any convictions will be evaluated to determine if they directly relate to the responsibilities and requirements of the position. Having a conviction history will not automatically disqualify an applicant from being considered for employment.
• Work modality: Work will be primarily performed at: Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA. A REAL ID or other acceptable form of identification is required to access Berkeley Lab sites (for more information click here ).

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer: The foundation of Berkeley Lab is our Stewardship Values: Team Science, Service, Trust, Innovation, and Respect; and we strive to build community with these shared values and commitments. Berkeley Lab is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We heartily welcome applications from all who could contribute to the Lab's mission of leading scientific discovery, excellence, and professionalism. In support of our rich global community, all qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories under State and Federal law.

Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct, are currently being investigated for misconduct, left a position during an investigation for alleged misconduct, or have filed an appeal with a previous employer.