Controls Engineer in Guildford

Location: Remote initially then moving to hybrid with a couple of days a week in the office which will be Hampshire based + monthly meet-ups & global travel for trials.

Salary: £55-75K plus excellent benefits package.

Our client is a rapidly-growing maritime technology company pioneering innovative wind-assisted propulsion systems to reduce fuel consumption and emissions across global shipping. This is a blank-page opportunity for an ambitious Controls Engineer who wants to shape how we build, validate and scale control systems. You will likely have 3 or 4 years of hands-on experience, but your attitude, curiosity and willingness to learn matter more than this. You will own the full controls lifecycle from architecture and algorithm design through on-board commissioning and help establish a world-class capability as the company grows.

• Control-system architecture expertise covering sensor/effector integration and scalable designs.
• Experience of the full controls lifecycle building from scratch, new product life cycle, defining requirements, architecture, algorithm design, testing and commissioning.
• Hands-on networking proficiency with at least two of IP, CAN bus, Modbus, NMEA or Serial interfaces.
• Field experience diagnosing and rectifying issues in deployed systems.
• Automation experience within marine, industrial or autonomous systems.
• Growth mindset & self-direction able to tackle unfamiliar problems, learn rapidly and make progress with minimal guidance.
• Willingness to travel globally for sea trials, factory testing and monthly company meet-ups (all expenses paid).

• Deploying advanced control algorithms & AI development (e.g. Matlab/Simulink, model-based design) to embedded hardware, PLCs, ECUs or CPUs.
• Exposure to AI/ML techniques applied to control systems.
• Knowledge of marine regulations and standards.
• Human-Machine Interface (HMI) design for intuitive operation in demanding environments.

• Degree-qualified in Control Engineering, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Mechatronics or a related discipline.

• You will be responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining control systems to regulate and optimize the performance of compact wind propulsion system.
• Define and maintain the system architecture linking sensors, effectors and core processors for innovative products.
• Own and evolve the control algorithms, ensuring reliability, performance and ease of use, enhance efficiency, safety, and precision.
• Develop and maintain the HMI, delivering a user-friendly interface for operators.
• Undertake system commissioning on board vessels, troubleshooting hardware and software end-to-end.
• Capture and manage system requirements, securing stakeholder buy-in and traceability from design through to in-service support.
• Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams to integrate mechanical, electrical and software components.
• Build and lead a controls engineering team as the product portfolio and order book expand.

£55,000 - £75,000 per annum (possibly more with exceptional experience). Fully remote working within UK with: Company-wide meet-up in London/UK once per month (2-3 days). Engineering team workshop once per month. Regular factory or on-ship visits for testing and trials. All travel & accommodation expenses paid. Opportunity to build a capability and progress rapidly as the company scales. Standard pension, private health care plus 25 days holiday + bank holidays.

Our client offers the chance to make a tangible impact on the decarbonisation of global shipping while growing with a supportive, forward-thinking team. If you thrive on ownership, enjoy solving real-world problems and want to help write the playbook for our controls engineering function, we would love to hear from you.