Report to: Design Coordinator or Control Systems Lead

Team Spirit and Context:

American Racing Challenger is a United States America’s Cup team. Its mission is to win the America’s Cup, develop an enduring sailing franchise, and be a catalyst to revitalize the sport of sailing in the US. This includes building a more inclusive, diverse, and engaging sport.

American Racing Challenger is looking for an Embedded Software / PLC / Control Systems Engineer experienced in fast-paced development to contribute to the design, build, and ongoing development of its racing yachts. The individual will be part of a larger mechatronics team responsible for the yacht’s onboard flight controls and sail controls.

The role is firmly on the critical path of development, testing, and racing. This individual needs a solid PLC, motion control and programming background and crucially also needs to be able to manage high stress and time critical environments, whether it be on shore or on the water.

Successful Profile:

• Technically proficient, dependable, level-headed, eager to learn and contribute in whatever way is needed.
• Work quickly with good quality. Ability to work under pressure and manage deadlines.
• Attention to detail, safety and reliability, testing and validation.

Candidate Profile:

Background

• Strong academic background in Control Systems, Robotics, Computer Science, or similar
• Proven track record delivering complex mechatronics systems from rapid prototyping and iteration through to high-reliability real-world production.
• Strong expertise of model-based design (e.g.,MatLab/Simulink) workflows including code-generation to real-time target systems
• Deep expertise in Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 and Structured Text development.

Required skills

• 3+ years of hands-on PLC programming and motion control in high-performance or real-time applications.
• Proficiency with MatLab/Simulink, having experience with model-based design including code-generation to real-time target systems
• Proficiency in CEI 61131-3 Structured Text, alongside experience in modern OOP languages (C++, C#, or Python). Understanding of fieldbus system including EtherCAT and CAN bus.
• Experience with modern software engineering practices applied to PLCs (Git version control, CI/CD, unit testing).
• Excellent problem solving and debugging/root-cause analysis skills.
• Comfortable taking part in or advising on aspects of the control system development focusing on implementation, test development, tuning, debugging & support.
• Familiar with dynamic systems and equipped with classical and/or modern control theory skills (PID, MPC, etc) with demonstrable experience of such systems succeeding in real-world applications.
• Able to apply core engineering principles to multi- domain challenges (e.g., across electronic, mechanical, and hydraulic/pneumatic control systems).
• Ability to perform in a fast paced, high stress development environment.
• Ability to communicate clearly with team members.
• Willing to support the team whenever and wherever necessary to get the job done.
• Willing and able to relocate internationally including USA and Europe.

Typical Experience/Must:

• Experience with MatLab/Simulink and model-based design including code-generation to real-time target systems
• Experience in Beckhoff Automation including TwinCAT 3 IDE and hardware
• Experience in Structured Text programming language

Desirable skills:

• No sailing experience necessary, but experience with sailing, motorsport, flying or similar activities is beneficial.
• Experience in any of the following fields is beneficial: HIL, asynchronous/multi-rate systems, mathematical modeling, sensor fusion, communications protocol definition and implementation (e.g. CAN,UDP), flight control, electro-hydraulic actuator control.
• Experience with Simulink and other Mathworks toolboxes, and Python will be a plus
• Experience with electrical schematics and systems will be a plus
• Understanding of hydraulic schematics and systems
• Experience with fieldbus and Ethernet communication protocols (UDP, Can / CanOpen / NMEA / J1939, Ethercat, RS232 / RS485…)

Soft skills:

• Team Player: a strong “can-do” attitude is crucial
• Ability to stay focused and adapt to changing priorities
• Have an eye and an attitude for accuracy and doing things right
• Comfortable with traveling and operating in different locations, environments and a multicultural team
• Be at ease with people, have a very good level of English (if not native speaker)

Key Responsibilities

• To develop and maintain onboard PLC software
• To develop, test, tune and monitor onboard control systems
• To apply the best possible development techniques, ensure robust systems are deployed to all facilities (rigs, simulator, yacht) to enable their highly efficient use.
• To participate in design meetings across controls groups and advise on the practical considerations of control systems requirements within.
• To be part of the team that defines and codes all the logic hosted in the control system PLC of racing yachts
• To integrate PLC logics in simulation and to support the simulator team
• To support the sailing team in the operation and learning of the control system logics
• To perform daily troubleshooting
• To perform the monitoring and analysis of the control system data either via telemetry during the sailing sessions or in on shore postprocessing to identify and correct potential bugs and to improve the system performance according to sailing team needs
• Respects the AC38 Class Rules and Technical Regulations to ensure anything done, implemented or modified on our Racing Yacht(s) (AC75, AC40, etc) are made in accordance with those Rules except for testing and with approval of either the Design Coordinator, Mechatronic Lead or Control Systems Lead.

To be responsible for:

• System failure detection & recovery logics
• The command/target control loop logics and pre-commanded/pre-defined sequence logics
• The PLC functions and logics to manage and to transfer the data between the different control system nodes via fieldbuses/buses

To be a backup of the other teammates who are in charge of:

• Actuator and power pack inner control loop including “one design” systems.
• Sensor/HMI analog acquisition and monitoring

Work Location: In person