Full-Time

Lead Controls and Instrumentation Engineer

Deadline 8/14/27
Calspan

Calspan

201-500 employees

Aerospace and automotive R&D testing partner

Compensation Overview

$110k - $140k/yr

No H1B Sponsorship

St Paul, MN, USA

In Person

On-site in St. Paul; approximately 15% domestic and international travel required.

Bachelor's

Category
Electrical Engineering (1)
Required Skills
AutoCAD
SolidWorks

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Requirements
  • A bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering is preferred.
  • At least 9 years of experience in controls, electronics, data acquisition systems, or a similar role, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
  • Experience designing and implementing controls, electronics, or data acquisition systems.
  • Familiarity with NFPA 70, the National Electrical Code.
  • Familiarity with AutoCAD or SolidWorks for designing and troubleshooting electrical systems.
  • Experience with programmable logic controllers, electromechanical systems, and software programming is preferred.
  • Ability to balance priorities across multiple projects simultaneously.
  • Ability to meet budgets and schedules.
  • Ability to work effectively as an individual contributor and collaborate as part of a multidisciplinary team.
  • Must be a U.S. Person.
  • Must have a valid passport.
Responsibilities
  • Develop or reuse system design solutions to meet customer requirements.
  • Partner with designers and the project team to deliver complete design packages, including drawings and bills of materials.
  • Design and develop electronic subsystems, including data acquisition systems, control and integration of electromechanical valves and instrumentation, control loops, electrical control systems, junction boxes, and panel layouts.
  • Perform engineering tasks on schedule and within budget.
  • Ensure system designs align with as-sold scope, customer requirements, quality standards, and industry codes.
  • Communicate regularly with the project team about status, issues, and variances to plan.
  • Document and present work in accordance with quality requirements.
  • Prepare design criteria, calculation packages, procurement specifications, technical reports, validation plans, and product manuals.
  • Participate in and lead internal and customer design reviews.
  • Interface with procurement, production, and installation teams to resolve issues discovered during assembly and testing.
  • Travel to customer and subcontractor sites for design reviews, site surveys, and system commissioning.
  • Assist marketing in developing proposals for future work.
  • Develop concepts, cost estimates, proposal write-ups, analyses, options, and recommendations.
Desired Qualifications
  • Excellent interpersonal, presentation, and leadership skills, with demonstrated initiative and attention to completeness, accuracy, and detail.
  • Approximately 15% international and/or domestic travel.

Calspan acts as a research and testing partner for aerospace and automotive innovators, helping turn bold concepts into viable commercial products. It conducts aerodynamic and flight testing, including hypersonics, and provides R&D, T&E engineering, and manufacturing solutions, all supported by a network of U.S. facilities and test centers. The company differentiates itself by offering end-to-end testing and development capabilities across multiple locations—airborne testing, wind tunnel and aerodynamic modeling, pilot training, and engineering services—covering both ground and air applications. Its goal is to accelerate the world’s greatest innovations by validating designs, reducing development time, and enabling safe, reliable product deployment in land, air, and space domains.

Company Size

201-500

Company Stage

Acquired

Total Funding

$1.5M

Headquarters

Buffalo, New York

Founded

1943

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Calspan won a five-year USNTPS Learjet contract on February 20, 2026.
  • Taiwan's TNCAP certification opens recurring validation demand from global automakers in 2026.
  • Autonomy Flight Test Center expanded in 2026 as CCA and AI testing budgets surged.

What critics are saying

  • TransDigm sold Calspan Aero Systems Engineering to Cerberus in May 2024, shrinking defense scope.
  • Calspan still depends on contract wins like USNTPS, risking lumpy revenue after 2027.
  • North Wind now competes on hypersonic testing, eroding Calspan's historical technical moat.

What makes Calspan unique

  • Calspan runs ISO/IEC 17025 automotive labs and autonomous flight-test platforms in Buffalo.
  • Its ExPERT Learjet platform supports AI, autonomy, MUM-T, and surrogate aircraft testing.
  • Only North American lab certified for full-scope TNCAP testing in January 2026.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account

Flexible Spending Accounts

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Life Insurance/Accidental Death & Dismemberment

Disability Insurance

Paid Vacation

Paid Holidays

Bereavement Leave

Jury Duty

Military Leave

Employee Assistance Program

Educational Assistance Reimbursement

Pet Insurance

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

0%

1 year growth

0%

2 year growth

1%
The Business Journals
Apr 24th, 2024
Peter Sauer takes Calspan experience into commercial development

Calspan hired Steve Federico as head of development and construction 10 years ago so those projects could stay in-house.

Mason & Hanger
Dec 5th, 2023
Construction Progress on NASA's New Flight Dynamics Research Facility

Mason & Hanger is working on the design-build contract in partnership with BL Harbert International (BLHI) and Calspan Aero Systems Engineering, Inc.

PR Newswire
May 8th, 2023
TransDigm Completes Acquisition of Calspan Corporation

/PRNewswire/ -- TransDigm Group Incorporated (NYSE: TDG) today announced it has successfully completed its acquisition of Calspan Corporation ("Calspan" or...

MANavigator
Mar 15th, 2023
M & A Navigator

Ohio, US-based aircraft components supplier TransDigm Group Inc. (NYSE: TDG) has agreed to acquire New York-based testing and technology development services provider Calspan Corp., focussed on the aerospace and defence industry, the company said.

Calspan
Jan 28th, 2022
Calspan Corporation partners with Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

Calspan has been an integral partner with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) on their Air Combat Evolution (ACE) program.