Overview

Controls Engineer role at NPAworldwide. Remote (UK-based) with monthly meetups and global travel for trials. Hampshire office planned in the future with travel there once or twice a week. Salary: 65-75K plus shares plus benefits.

Responsibilities

• 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.
• 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 in-service support.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to integrate mechanical, electrical and software components.
• Build and lead a controls engineering team as the product portfolio and order book expand.

Salary & Benefits

• £56,000-£75,000 per annum (potentially higher with exceptional experience).
• Fully remote initially with a view to an office in Hampshire.
• Company-wide meetups in London/UK once per month; engineering team workshop once per month; regular factory or on-ship visits for testing and trials. All travel and accommodation expenses paid.
• Opportunities to build capability and progress rapidly as the company scales.
• Standard pension plus 25 days holiday + bank holidays.

Why This Is a Great Opportunity

Contribute to the decarbonisation of global shipping while growing with a supportive, forward-thinking team. If you thrive on ownership and solving real-world problems, this is a chance to help write the playbook for our controls engineering function. The Controls Engineer will be among the first hires as the company grows. You do not need a marine background; candidates from F1, aerospace, or heavy automation are welcome, with emphasis on reliability over precision. You must be very hands-on and have tested real systems with field experience diagnosing and rectifying issues in deployed systems. Expect 25-30% travel (more during system builds and 2-3 weeks on ships during installation).

Qualifications

• Degree-qualified in Control Engineering, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Mechatronics or a related discipline.
• Chartered Engineer status.
• Control-system architecture expertise covering sensor/effector integration and scalable designs.
• 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 & in-service commissioning experience within marine, industrial or autonomous systems.
• HMI design for intuitive operation in demanding environments.
• Growth mindset & self-direction to tackle unfamiliar problems with minimal guidance.
• Willingness to travel globally for sea trials, factory testing and monthly meet-ups (expenses paid).

Desirable Skills & Experience

• Deploying advanced control algorithms & AI development (e.g. Matlab/Simulink, model-based design) to embedded hardware, PLCs or CPUs.
• Exposure to AI/ML techniques applied to control systems.
• Knowledge of marine regulations and standards.

Other

• Salary Type: Annual Salary
• Salary Min: £55,000
• Salary Max: £75,000
• Currency Type: GBP