Power Electronics Controls Engineer

Job Description

General Motors is seeking a Power Electronics Controls Engineer to lead the design and integration of controls for high-voltage power electronics including DC/DC converters, inverters and on-board chargers. You will translate vehicle and electrical-system requirements into robust control strategies, diagnostics, calibration, and verification plans—then drive them through validation and production launch.

This is a hands-on technical leadership role spanning controls architecture, embedded software, hardware integration, laboratory and vehicle testing, supplier direction, and issue resolution.

Role Responsibilities

• Define controls architecture and operating modes for voltage/current regulation, power management, startup/shutdown, transitions, derating, protection, and fault recovery.
• Derive controller requirements based on system performance requirements and drive controller selection
• Translate system requirements into control, software, calibration, diagnostic, and interface requirements.
• Balance efficiency, transient response, stability, thermal performance, electromagnetic compatibility, safety, cost, and timing.
• Design diagnostic monitoring, fault thresholds, degraded modes, safe-state behavior, and recovery strategies.
• Partner with calibration and software teams on parameter definition, tuning, model-based development, test planning, and release readiness.
• Lead controls integration across converter hardware, embedded software, battery systems, vehicle energy management, electrical architecture, validation, and vehicle integration.
• Plan and review simulation, hardware-in-the-loop, laboratory, and vehicle verification; use objective data to confirm performance and robustness.
• Lead root-cause investigations and corrective actions for controls, performance, communication, diagnostic, and vehicle-integration issues.
• Provide technical directions to suppliers and review architecture, software maturity, calibration capability, diagnostic coverage, test evidence, and launch readiness.
• Communicate technical risks and decisions, influence cross-functional teams, and mentor engineers.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, controls engineering, or a related discipline.
• 8+ years of relevant experience in power electronics, embedded controls, automotive electrical systems, or electrified-vehicle technologies.
• Hands-on experience developing or integrating embedded controls for production DC/DC converters, onboard chargers, or related power-conversion systems.
• Strong fundamentals in feedback control, mode management, transient response, stability, protection, derating, diagnostics, and fault handling.
• Experience translating system requirements into controls, software, calibration, diagnostics, and verification plans.
• Lead collaboration efforts between HW and SW teams by working closely with HW lead to understanding the HW blocks and implementing HW controls while providing defined controls specifications to SW team.
• Experience defining or implementing automotive diagnostics, including monitoring, fault detection, diagnostic trouble codes, thresholds, degraded modes, and recovery behavior.
• Experience leading technical issue resolution using structured root-cause analysis and objective test data.
• Knowledge of CAN, LIN, Ethernet, functional safety, cybersecurity, EMC, electrical transients, or vehicle energy management.
• Experience with model-based development, automatic code generation, plant modeling, hardware-in-the-loop testing, or real-time controls simulation.
• Ability to coordinate cross-functional technical decisions and influence internal teams and suppliers without direct authority.
• Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills.
• Willingness to travel periodically to supplier, test, and vehicle-development locations as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree or advanced technical training in electrical engineering, controls, power electronics, computer engineering, or a related field.
• 10+ years of relevant experience in power electronics, embedded controls, automotive electrical systems, or electrified-vehicle technologies.
• Experience with bidirectional on-board chargers or isolated DC/DC converters, high-voltage systems, or low-voltage vehicle networks.
• Knowledge of functional safety, cybersecurity, diagnostics standards, electrical transients, electromagnetic compatibility, and vehicle energy-management strategies.
• Experience coordinating software, calibration, hardware, and vehicle-integration changes to resolve validation or field issues.
• Experience with supplier technical reviews, controls assessments, and production-launch readiness.
• Experience with design-for-manufacturing, design-for-service, and controls robustness for high-volume production.
• Experience with supplier technical reviews, production launch, and design-for-manufacturing or service.

Candidate Success Profile

The strongest candidate will combine strong controls fundamentals with automotive power electronics hardware knowledge to deliver controls strategies. They will be comfortable moving between controls architecture, calibration, diagnostics, software and hardware integration, laboratory testing, vehicle testing, supplier discussions, and leadership communication.

Success in the first year will include establishing a repeatable power electronics controls development and issue-resolution approach, supporting calibration and diagnostic readiness, providing clear technical directions to suppliers and cross-functional teams, and reduce late-cycle controls issues across the power electronics portfolio.

GM does not provide immigration-related sponsorship for this role. Do not apply for this role if you will need GM immigration sponsorship now or in the future. This includes direct company sponsorship, entry of GM as the immigration employer of record on a government form, and any work authorization requiring a written submission or other immigration support from the company (e.g., H1-B, OPT, STEM OPT, CPT, TN, J-1, etc). This role is categorized as hybrid. This means the selected candidate is expected to report to a specific location at least 3 times a week {or other frequency dictated by their manager}. Relocation benefits are available for candidates who qualify under company policy.

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