Controls Engineer Jobs in San Jose, CA
Controls Engineer jobs in San Jose are in strong and consistent demand, concentrated in North San Jose, the Alviso industrial corridor, and the Coyote Valley and Brokaw Road manufacturing zones, across semiconductor equipment, clean energy systems, and advanced manufacturing. Employers hiring right now include Google, Lambda, and Therma. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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Archer is an aerospace company based in San Jose, California building an all-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft with a mission to advance the benefits of sustainable air mobility. We are designing, manufacturing, and operating an all-electric aircraft that can carry four passengers while producing minimal noise.
Our sights are set high and our problems are hard, and we believe that diversity in the workplace is what makes us smarter, drives better insights, and will ultimately lift us all to success. We are dedicated to cultivating an equitable and inclusive environment that embraces our differences, and supports and celebrates all of our team members.
About the Role
Special Programs is Archer's rapid-prototyping, cross-functional engineering team supporting advanced and defense-focused development efforts. We operate as a small, empowered group capable of moving quickly across disciplines — from early technical assessment of new opportunities through hands-on design, analysis, and prototype development.
The Lead Special Programs Engineer – Flight Controls & Software brings deep flight controls and software engineering expertise as their organic core competency — control law development, flight dynamics, and the embedded flight control and autopilot software that implements them for prototype vehicles.
What You'll Do
- Lead flight control law design and analysis for prototype vehicles, including control law development, flight dynamics modeling, and stability and control assessment
- Lead development of embedded flight control and autopilot software, from architecture through implementation and flight test support
- Support rapid prototyping efforts end-to-end, from concept modeling and simulation through hardware-in-the-loop test and flight test support
- Own the flight controls and software discipline within Special Programs — setting technical approach, standards, and analysis/development methods used across the program's flight controls and software work
- Conduct technical feasibility assessments of new opportunities — evaluating whether emerging concepts, RFPs, or mission requirements are viable within your focus area and what approach they would require
- Serve as a cross-functional technical contributor across Special Programs efforts outside your core focus area when program needs require it
- Collaborate with program leads, other Special Programs engineers, and broader Archer engineering teams to align technical approaches with program timelines and constraints
- Produce technical documentation, trade studies, and analysis packages supporting both design maturity reviews and opportunity/capture decisions
- Represent Special Programs work in your focus area in internal reviews and, as needed, in discussions with government stakeholders
What You'll Need
- Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Controls, Electrical, or Computer Engineering (advanced degree a plus)
- Demonstrated experience in flight control law development, flight dynamics, or stability and control analysis for aerospace platforms
- Demonstrated experience developing embedded flight control or autopilot software
- Familiarity with relevant control design, simulation, and embedded software development tools
- Demonstrated ability to work across the full development lifecycle — concept through prototype — in a fast-paced, resource-constrained environment
- Experience or strong aptitude for evaluating technical feasibility of early-stage concepts, not just executing against defined requirements
- Comfort operating as a generalist when needed — willingness and ability to contribute outside your core focus area in support of program needs
- Ability to work independently with significant technical ownership and no direct-report support structure
- 8–12 years of relevant engineering experience (or equivalent demonstrated experience in rapid-prototyping / advanced-programs environments)
- Must be a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen, national, lawful permanent resident, asylee, or refugee), as defined by ITAR/EAR
- Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance
What Makes This Role Different
This isn't a seat on Archer's core flight controls & software team. Special Programs engineers are chosen for deep discipline expertise and the versatility to support wherever a program needs it — from early opportunity evaluation to hands-on prototype work across disciplines. You'll have significant technical ownership and autonomy, working in a small team built to move fast on some of Archer's most forward-looking defense efforts.
At Archer, we aim to attract, retain, and motivate talent with the skills and leadership needed to grow our business. We drive a pay-for-performance culture and reward performance that supports the Company's strategy. For this position, we are targeting a base pay range of $138,200 - $190,100. Actual compensation offered will be determined by job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
Archer is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to job applicants with physical or mental disabilities, and those with sincerely held religious beliefs. Applicants who may require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should provide their name and contact information to Archer's People Team at people@archer.com. Reasonable accommodations will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Information collected and processed as part of any job applications you choose to submit is subject to Archer's Candidate Privacy Policy.
Archer is unable to provide work visa sponsorship for this position at the present time.
Archer is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. All aspects of employment are decided on the basis of merit, qualifications, and business needs. We do not discriminate based upon race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
Archer Aviation does not engage with external recruiting agencies/individual recruiters with whom it does not have a prior written agreement. Archer reserves the right to make use of any unsolicited resumes that it receives and bears no responsibility for payment of any fees asserted from the use of unsolicited resumes. If you are a recruiting agency or individual recruiter wishing to do business with Archer, please reach out to People@archer.com. All employment processes are managed by the Archer People Team.
Archer is an aerospace company based in San Jose, California building an all-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft with a mission to advance the benefits of sustainable air mobility. We are designing, manufacturing, and operating an all-electric aircraft that can carry four passengers while producing minimal noise.
Our sights are set high and our problems are hard, and we believe that diversity in the workplace is what makes us smarter, drives better insights, and will ultimately lift us all to success. We are dedicated to cultivating an equitable and inclusive environment that embraces our differences, and supports and celebrates all of our team members.
About the Role
Special Programs is Archer's rapid-prototyping, cross-functional engineering team supporting advanced and defense-focused development efforts. We operate as a small, empowered group capable of moving quickly across disciplines — from early technical assessment of new opportunities through hands-on design, analysis, and prototype development.
The Lead Special Programs Engineer – Flight Controls & Software brings deep flight controls and software engineering expertise as their organic core competency — control law development, flight dynamics, and the embedded flight control and autopilot software that implements them for prototype vehicles.
What You'll Do
- Lead flight control law design and analysis for prototype vehicles, including control law development, flight dynamics modeling, and stability and control assessment
- Lead development of embedded flight control and autopilot software, from architecture through implementation and flight test support
- Support rapid prototyping efforts end-to-end, from concept modeling and simulation through hardware-in-the-loop test and flight test support
- Own the flight controls and software discipline within Special Programs — setting technical approach, standards, and analysis/development methods used across the program's flight controls and software work
- Conduct technical feasibility assessments of new opportunities — evaluating whether emerging concepts, RFPs, or mission requirements are viable within your focus area and what approach they would require
- Serve as a cross-functional technical contributor across Special Programs efforts outside your core focus area when program needs require it
- Collaborate with program leads, other Special Programs engineers, and broader Archer engineering teams to align technical approaches with program timelines and constraints
- Produce technical documentation, trade studies, and analysis packages supporting both design maturity reviews and opportunity/capture decisions
- Represent Special Programs work in your focus area in internal reviews and, as needed, in discussions with government stakeholders
What You'll Need
- Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Controls, Electrical, or Computer Engineering (advanced degree a plus)
- Demonstrated experience in flight control law development, flight dynamics, or stability and control analysis for aerospace platforms
- Demonstrated experience developing embedded flight control or autopilot software
- Familiarity with relevant control design, simulation, and embedded software development tools
- Demonstrated ability to work across the full development lifecycle — concept through prototype — in a fast-paced, resource-constrained environment
- Experience or strong aptitude for evaluating technical feasibility of early-stage concepts, not just executing against defined requirements
- Comfort operating as a generalist when needed — willingness and ability to contribute outside your core focus area in support of program needs
- Ability to work independently with significant technical ownership and no direct-report support structure
- 8–12 years of relevant engineering experience (or equivalent demonstrated experience in rapid-prototyping / advanced-programs environments)
- Must be a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen, national, lawful permanent resident, asylee, or refugee), as defined by ITAR/EAR
- Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance
What Makes This Role Different
This isn't a seat on Archer's core flight controls & software team. Special Programs engineers are chosen for deep discipline expertise and the versatility to support wherever a program needs it — from early opportunity evaluation to hands-on prototype work across disciplines. You'll have significant technical ownership and autonomy, working in a small team built to move fast on some of Archer's most forward-looking defense efforts.
At Archer, we aim to attract, retain, and motivate talent with the skills and leadership needed to grow our business. We drive a pay-for-performance culture and reward performance that supports the Company's strategy. For this position, we are targeting a base pay range of $138,200 - $190,100. Actual compensation offered will be determined by job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
Archer is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to job applicants with physical or mental disabilities, and those with sincerely held religious beliefs. Applicants who may require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should provide their name and contact information to Archer's People Team at people@archer.com. Reasonable accommodations will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Information collected and processed as part of any job applications you choose to submit is subject to Archer's Candidate Privacy Policy.
Archer is unable to provide work visa sponsorship for this position at the present time.
Archer is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. All aspects of employment are decided on the basis of merit, qualifications, and business needs. We do not discriminate based upon race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
Archer Aviation does not engage with external recruiting agencies/individual recruiters with whom it does not have a prior written agreement. Archer reserves the right to make use of any unsolicited resumes that it receives and bears no responsibility for payment of any fees asserted from the use of unsolicited resumes. If you are a recruiting agency or individual recruiter wishing to do business with Archer, please reach out to People@archer.com. All employment processes are managed by the Archer People Team.
See All 248+ Controls Engineer Jobs in San Jose
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Find Controls Engineer JobsControls Engineer Job Market in San Jose
Who's Hiring
- Google35
- Lambda35
- Therma35
- archer35
- Ayar Labs35
Top Industries Hiring
- Electronics & Hardware
- Consulting & Professional Services
Controls Engineer Jobs in San Jose: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a controls engineer job in San Jose?
Focus your search on North San Jose and the Alviso corridor, where semiconductor equipment makers, defense electronics firms, and clean energy system integrators concentrate most of their hiring. Familiarity with PLC programming, SCADA platforms, and motion control gives you a clear edge here, since so many San Jose employers build complex automated equipment rather than run standard manufacturing lines. Applying directly to hardware-forward companies and contract manufacturers in the Brokaw Road and Coyote Valley areas tends to yield the strongest entry points.
Which companies hire controls engineers in San Jose?
Employers hiring controls engineers in San Jose right now include Google, Lambda, and Therma, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. San Jose's mix of semiconductor equipment makers, defense contractors, and industrial automation firms means controls engineering roles appear across both large publicly traded companies and mid-size specialty manufacturers.
Are there remote controls engineer jobs in San Jose?
Yes, but only selectively, since controls engineering is largely hands-on work tied to physical equipment, test systems, and production lines. About 50% of controls engineer openings tied to San Jose are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, and those roles tend to concentrate in the software-heavy side of the work, such as SCADA configuration, controls architecture review, and remote system monitoring for distributed industrial sites.
How can I get a controls engineer job in San Jose with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path in San Jose is through contract-to-hire roles at equipment integrators and test automation shops in the North San Jose and Alviso areas, where smaller teams are more willing to train candidates who already understand basic PLC logic or have lab experience from an engineering program. Applying for controls technician or junior automation engineer titles at local semiconductor equipment companies also opens the door, since those roles frequently feed into full controls engineer positions as you build hands-on system experience.
Which industries hire the most controls engineers in San Jose?
Most controls engineer openings in San Jose sit in Electronics & Hardware and Consulting & Professional Services, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. San Jose's dense cluster of semiconductor equipment manufacturers, defense electronics companies, and clean energy system integrators drives that concentration, since each of those sectors depends heavily on custom automated systems that require dedicated controls engineering support.
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