JobsGenerac

Staff Controls Engineer

Generac · Sussex, WI

Posted Sep 10, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Sep 20, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

Behavioral

Tell me about a design you had to change because manufacturing told you it couldn't be built as specified. How did you work with them to land on something that worked for both sides?

real collaboration skill with manufacturing partners, not just deference or stubbornness

Give me an example of a complex engineering problem where the obvious fix wasn't the right one. How did you figure out what was actually going on?

root-cause thinking versus quick patching under pressure

Tell me about a time you had to explain a technical control issue to a non-technical audience, like a program manager or a customer. How did you adjust your explanation?

ability to translate technical detail for varied audiences, a stated requirement

Have you been involved in a standards body or industry group tied to controls or power systems? What did you bring back to your team from that involvement?

genuine engagement with industry standards versus a resume line

Tell me about a time you used cost or risk analysis to choose between two design options that both technically worked.

whether they weigh cost, reliability, and safety trade-offs, not just technical elegance

Technical

Walk me through a control algorithm you designed for a power control or power management application, from the initial requirement to final tuning.

depth of hands-on experience with control design across the full lifecycle, not just theory

Tell me about a time you had to tune a closed loop control system that was unstable or underperforming. What did you look at first and how did you fix it?

practical skill in stability analysis and tuning methodology under real constraints

Describe your experience building a high-fidelity simulation model for a product before hardware existed. How did you validate that the model actually matched reality?

model-based design competence and rigor about model-to-hardware correlation

Have you used auto code generation to go from a model to production-ready code? What issues came up when moving from simulation to the real controller?

whether they understand the gap between simulated behavior and embedded deployment

Tell me about a PLC program you wrote for a machine or process. What was the machine doing, and what tripped you up during commissioning?

direct PLC programming ability and troubleshooting mindset on the floor

Describe a test and validation plan you built that used more than one method, like HIL or SIL along with bench testing or fault injection. Why did you choose that combination?

breadth and judgment in structuring validation coverage, not just running one test type

Situational

You're mentoring a junior engineer who is confident in their approach but you can see a flaw in their control design. How do you handle that conversation?

mentoring style and ability to correct without undermining a junior colleague

Suppose a new product is behind schedule because a supplier's component doesn't meet spec and it's affecting your control loop performance. What do you do in the next week?

prioritization and cross-functional problem solving under schedule pressure

Say a field failure comes back showing your control algorithm is doing something unexpected under a specific fault condition. Walk me through how you would investigate it.

structured debugging approach for a real-world control failure, including fault injection thinking

Practice this interview out loud.

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The full job description

As published by Generac.

We believe power is a promise - a shared commitment to be there for others when it matters most. For more than 65 years, we've turned big ideas into solutions that help protect homes, strengthen businesses and build a more resilient, efficient, sustainable energy future. Ready to Power a Smarter World with us? Primary Purpose The Engineer IV – Controls (Staff Engineer) is responsible for providing expertise regarding new product development as well as continuous improvement of legacy systems.  Day to day responsibilities include control design and tuning, simulation development, PLC programming, and electrical system integration. Additionally, candidates will facilitate product development through design, validation, and release. Major Responsibilities • Designs, validates, and brings new products to market.  • Specifies precise new product functional requirements; designs, tests and integrates a variety of increasingly complex components to produce final designs; and evaluates the design's overall effectiveness, cost (including cost/benefit analysis), reliability (risk analysis), and safety.  • Designs, develops, executes and evaluates fitness-for-use testing, product specifications and process validation plans for a variety of increasingly complex products and/or components; creates and reviews material part specifications and bills of materials.  • Collaborates with internal manufacturing partners, contract manufacturers, designers and product specialists to optimize increasingly complex designs for manufacturability.  • Utilizes PLC programming proficiency to develop programming instructions for optimal machine operation. • Supporting product development plans (schedule, product cost, meeting design inputs). • Acts as a resource to mentor and teach less experienced engineers.  • Other duties as assigned. Minimum Job Requirements Education • Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering or related discipline; • 7+ years of relevant work experience Certification / License Work Experience Knowledge / Skills / Abilities • Designs, validates, and brings new products to market.  • Specifies precise new product functional requirements; designs, tests and integrates a variety of increasingly complex components to produce final designs; and evaluates the design's overall effectiveness, cost (including cost/benefit analysis), reliability (risk analysis), and safety.  • Designs, develops, executes and evaluates fitness-for-use testing, product specifications and process validation plans for a variety of increasingly complex products and/or components; creates and reviews material part specifications and bills of materials.  • Collaborates with internal manufacturing partners, contract manufacturers, designers and product specialists to optimize increasingly complex designs for manufacturability.  • Utilizes PLC programming proficiency to develop programming instructions for optimal machine operation. • Supporting product development plans (schedule, product cost, meeting design inputs). • Acts as a resource to mentor and teach less experienced engineers.  · Other duties as assigned. Preferred Job Requirements Education Certification / License Work Experience • Ability to perform detail-oriented work with a high degree of accuracy on multiple projects of increasing complexity • Proven expertise in developing control algorithms across diverse power control and power management applications; • Expertise in closed loop tuning control tuning, stability analysis, and performance optimization of advanced control algorithms; • Expertise in model-based design methodologies, including development of high-fidelity system simulations, automated design verification and production-ready auto code generation; • Experience in test & validation plan and procedure development and execution including multiple methods (HIL/SIL, bench component and/or system testing, fault injection methods, etc.); • Experience in new product design and development; • Active participant in technical communities tied to industry standards or regulations; • Strong written communication and presentation skills; • Ability to translate technical information to all audiences; • Applies engineering knowledge and experience to improve products, services and processes; • Able to solve complex engineering problems; • MS Excel, MS Word; • Experience with machine design; • Previous experience with SAP or equivalent ERP. Knowledge / Skills / Abilities Physical Requirements and Working Conditions PHYSICAL DEMANDS : Office Environment (Includes field sales): While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear; and use hands to manipulate objects or controls.  The employee is regularly required to stand and walk.  On occasion, the incumbent may be required to stoop, bend, or reach above the shoulders.  The employee must occasionally lift up to 25 pounds. Specific conditions of this job are typical of frequent and continuous computer-based work requiring periods of sitting, close vision, and the ability to adjust focus. Occasional travel. (If travel percentage is required beyond occasional or is a regular part of the job, include “Up to x% travel and valid Driver’s License required.”) Production Environment (Includes professionals who are active on the shop floor) (For Field Technicians): While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand.  The employee is frequently required to use hands to manipulate objects, tools, or controls; and to talk and hear.  The employee is regularly required to walk, stoop, crouch, bend and reach above shoulders.  The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds unassisted and up to 100 pounds with assistance, waist high, up to 10 feet away.  This job's specific vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception. While performing the duties of this job, the employee will be working in the typical conditions of a manufacturing environment, including seasonal variations in temperatures and occasional exposure to manufacturing fumes or byproducts. The employee must comply with the assigned location PPE requirements, including but not limited to safety glasses, hearing protection, appropriate gloves, clothing, and shields for required tasks, and closed-toed or safety shoes as required by facility safety policies. The employee must be able to work in varying weather conditions including extreme heat, snow, and ice. The employee may be required to obtain a DOT Medical Card and have the ability to drive a heavy-duty truck on a daily basis. DISCLAIMER All responsibilities and requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only responsibilities to be performed by an employee occupying this job or position.  Employees must follow any other job-related instructions and perform any other job-related duties requested by their leaders. “We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.”

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