Senior Controls Engineer
Wabtec · Erie, PA
- Level
- Senior
- Team
- Controls
- Travel
- 10%
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 8+ years
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- 2 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A senior controls role at Wabtec (industrial) in Erie, PA. You will serveas the lead technical contributor within a controls engineering team responsible for the Trip Optimizer Energy Management/Cruise Control system for heavy haul freight locomotives.
- They ask for
- 8+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- Root cause, Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ), Robotics
- Day to day
- about 10% travel
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Controls Engineer roles in Pennsylvania: typical posted base $89k–$133k.
Median of the low and high ends of 9 live postings that list pay, out of 24 controls engineer openings in Pennsylvania, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Pennsylvania plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 23 other live controls postings in Pennsylvania.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- More than usual (8+ vs 5+)
Typical $89k–$133k, from 9 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- Automation 75%
- PLC 67%
- ✓ Root cause 33%
- ✓ Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 29%
- ✓ Robotics 29%
- Lean 25%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Controls team at Wabtec
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
- 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- The posting says about 10% travel. Between which sites?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
This plant: Wabtec in Erie
2 other open roles at this site.
- Manufacturing Engineer · Manufacturing
- Operations Development Lead Manufacturing Engineer - NPI · Production · Manager
Full description from WabtecAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
How will you make a difference?
As the Senior Controls Design Engineer, you will serveas the lead technical contributor within a controls engineering team responsible for the Trip Optimizer Energy Management/Cruise Control system for heavy haul freight locomotives. The role combines hands-on controls development with technical leadership in prioritizing and executing work across product enhancements, field support, and long-term product evolution.
What do we want to know about you?
- •Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or other engineering discipline with a controls or dynamic systems focus
- •Demonstrated proficiency in model-based control system design and development using MATLAB/Simulink
- •Minimum 8 years of engineering experience
- •Willingness and ability to travel up to 10% of the time
Desired Characteristics
- +Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- +Experience with feedback control systems, dynamic system modeling, or estimation techniques.
- +Demonstrated ability to coordinate technical activities, establish priorities, and balance field support, product enhancements, and long-term engineering objectives.
- +Experience mentoring engineers and providing technical leadership through collaboration, design reviews, and knowledge sharing.
- +Experience investigating field issues, performing root-cause analysis, and implementing corrective actions.
- +Experience analyzing operational, test, or field data to evaluate control system performance and identify improvement opportunities.
- +Familiarity with locomotive systems, train operations, vehicle dynamics, or rail transportation systems.
- +Master's degree or advanced study in controls, robotics, autonomous systems, estimation, optimization, or dynamic system modeling.
What will your typical day look like?
- +Lead the design of train control algorithms and system functionality, including control strategies, estimation methods, performance analysis, and technical specifications for freight train cruise control and train handling applications.
- +Develop, implement, and validate control system solutions using MATLAB/Simulink and related engineering tools, supporting simulation, validation, testing, and release of control system functionality.
- +Coordinate technical activities within a team of controls engineers, helping establish priorities, remove obstacles, and maintain steady progress across field issue resolution, new feature development, and long-term product evolution.
- +Analyze field performance data, investigate reported issues, determine root causes, and drive effective corrective actions.
- +Collaborate with systems, software, and product teams to deliver robust and practical solutions.
- +Provide technical guidance and mentorship to other engineers through design reviews, collaborative problem solving, and knowledge sharing.
- +Contribute to the long-term technical roadmap for train control capabilities and continuous product improvement.
What about the physical demands of the job?
- +Willingness and ability to travel up to 10% of the time to the Railroad yards and field
- +You can expect to lift You may also be asked to perform other duties outside of your function or trade, for which adequate training will be provided if necessary.