Control Systems - Staff Architect

Job Description

Job Description

RFA Engineering ( is an engineering service provider dedicated to delivering our clients with timely engineering support and expertise. We are seeking an experienced candidate to become an integral part of our engineering team. The selected candidate will work with an experienced engineering staff using state-of-the-art engineering tools & processes. This position will operate onsite at our customer's world-class engineering and manufacturing facility.

Control Systems - Staff Architect

This role is responsible for defining the overall controls strategy, electrical integration approach, and system-level design standards that ensure performance, reliability, and scalability across product platforms. The ideal candidate has deep expertise in motor control, variable frequency drives (VFDs), power systems, and control algorithms, and is experienced in developing robust control architectures for electrically and environmentally demanding applications. This individual serves as a senior technical authority, guiding design direction, mentoring engineers, and ensuring alignment across multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain the controls system architecture for electrical power, motor drive, and control systems used in thermal management equipment.
• Lead technical strategy for control algorithms, system behavior, and integration of motors, drives, and power delivery components.
• Establish design standards, best practices, and interface definitions for electrical and controls integration across programs.
• Guide the development and execution of verification and validation strategies to confirm system functionality, performance, and reliability.
• Ensure system designs meet EMC requirements and applicable industry standards, incorporating robust electrical design practices.
• Provide technical leadership in root cause investigations related to controls and electrical system failures and drive corrective actions.
• Support resolution of field and production issues, ensuring long-term improvements to system robustness.
• Serve as a technical mentor and subject matter expert for controls and electrical engineers.
• Collaborate with project engineering, program management, manufacturing, and marketing to align system capabilities with customer and product requirements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering (Master’s degree preferred).

• Minimum 10 years of experience in control systems and electrical system design for industrial equipment.

• Strong background in motor control, VFDs, and power distribution systems.

• Demonstrated experience developing control system architectures and advanced control algorithms.

• Experience designing and validating systems to meet EMC compliance requirements.

• Proven ability to analyze and resolve complex system-level electrical and controls issues.

Preferred Experience

• Experience with industrial thermal management, HVAC, or fluid cooling systems.

• Background in system-level design for equipment operating in electrically or environmentally harsh conditions.

• Experience mentoring junior engineers or serving in a technical lead capacity.

Visa sponsorship is NOT available for this position.

Pay Range: $120,000-$200,000/ year – Commensurate with experience

About RFA Engineering

RFA Engineering has provided product development and engineering services to industry leading customers since 1943. Our primary focus is the development of off highway equipment including agricultural, construction, mining, recreational, industrial, and special machines. Our work includes concept development, product design, documentation, problem-solving, simulation, optimization, and testing of components, systems and complete machines. Our engineering staff is located at our Engineering Center in Minneapolis, branch office in Dubuque, IA, and at numerous customer sites throughout the U.S.

• Health and Dental Insurance
• Health Savings Account
• TelaDoc: Virtual Health Care
• Vision Insurance
• Company Paid / Supplemental Life Insurance
• Company Paid Long-Term Disability
• Supplemental Short-Term Disability
• Retirement Savings Account (Traditional 401k & Roth 401k)
• Flexible Spending Plan Dependent Care
• Bonus Plan (Exempt Employees Only)
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Paid Holidays
• Bereavement Leave
• Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)
• Education Assistance

Equal Opportunity and Veteran Friendly