Moment Motor Company designs and builds EV conversions on a hands-on shop floor in Austin, TX. The EV Controls & Commissioning Engineer role unites firmware, software, GUI, and EV electronics to deliver ready-to-drive conversions, while continually building tools and processes that speed deployment and increase reliability on the line.
Compensation: USD 40 - 60 per hour
Responsibilities
- Own the commissioning workflow for car startups: assemble and validate the build configuration, flash firmware on the VCU, ECUMaster PMU, and BMS, configure the GUI and gauges, load and tailor config files, validate inputs and outputs, and drive the car through full functional checkout before handoff to the test driver.
- Diagnose and troubleshoot after initial test drives: address obscure OBD errors, unusual pack voltage readings, heater contactor issues, SOC resets, and charger faults; collaborate with technicians to trace faults (such as bad crimps or firmware bugs in a vendor component) and use logs to drive resolutions.
- Develop tools and processes to improve throughput: build log viewers, gauge test scripts, and diagnostic utilities with proper version control, plus process documentation for technicians upstream; decide when to build a tool versus addressing the root bug.
- Leverage AI daily using Claude, Cursor, or equivalent to analyze logs, generate diagnostic scripts, create tools, and summarize vehicle data.
Requirements
- BS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science — or demonstrated equivalent through projects.
- Hands-on experience with real EV systems: battery packs, motors, inverters, DC/DC converters, contactors, and thermal management; aftermarket, motorsport, or small-EV startups are preferred over large OEM backgrounds.
- Ability to read a raw CAN trace, build or edit DBC files, terminate networks correctly, and debug missing or malformed messages.
- Experience flashing firmware on a VCU, BMS, or similar device and performing bootloader recovery, handling version mismatches, and config rollbacks when needed.
- Familiarity with at least one EV or aftermarket electronics ecosystem such as Ampere, Cascadia, ECUMaster, AEM (note: AEM not installed in new builds but still relevant for field cars), or SME/Netgain; MoTeC experience or advanced non-EV tools from Holley are acceptable.
- Ability to read wiring schematics and trace faults with a multimeter or oscilloscope; PicoScope experience is a plus.
- Proficiency in Python and at least one C-family language; demonstrated shipped tools relied on by teammates.
- Experience using AI in daily workflows and the ability to describe specific AI-enabled tools or projects you have built.
- Automotive diagnostics experience: 3 years (required).
- Location/Availability: Austin, TX 78745 (required) — work location is in person.
Technologies
- Python, C-family languages, PicoScope
- CANbus, ECUMaster PMU, VCU, BMS, DBC files
- MoTeC, AEM, Ampere, Cascadia, SME/Netgain
- Claude, Cursor
Benefits
What this role is
The EV Controls & Commissioning Engineer owns the electronics side of transforming a fully built car into a ready-to-drive vehicle. This person ensures that firmware, software, GUI, gauges, and all EV-specific electronics work harmoniously on every delivery, while continuously building tools and processes to accelerate shop throughput, increase predictability, and reduce surprises.
What a typical week looks like
- Mon–Wed: Commission a Porsche 911 conversion. Flash the VCU and PMU, tailor the GUI and gauges to the customer’s layout, validate every accessory via the PMU, and perform the checkout. Remotely diagnose an obscure error from a Mercedes 280SL logged across the country by pulling logs and tracing a faulty CAN message from a vendor BMS.
- Thu: Deep work day. You’re 70% done with a Python tool that parses a log format to produce a diagnostic summary; finish it and walk a technician through its use.
- Fri: A customer visits to preview his Bronco shortly before shipment. You adjust the throttle calibration after a road test to smooth out low-speed aggression, ensuring the customer leaves satisfied with the car’s performance.
Application question
Please describe the most challenging EV or vehicle troubleshooting case you solved end-to-end. Include the symptoms, your hypothesis, how you instrumented the investigation, and what you discovered.
Bonus points if
- You’ve worked in a small shop, motorsport team, or early-stage EV startup (5–50 engineers).
- You can solder, rework boards, and use a scope fluently; PicoScope fluency is a plus.
- You have public projects (GitHub, build threads, YouTube) that showcase your tinkering.
- You maintain a personal project car or hobby that keeps your hands dirty.
You probably won't love this role if
- Your background is limited to validation, DVP&R, or test plans at Tier 1 or OEM without any integration or build-from-scratch experience.
- You require a written diagnostic procedure before debugging.
- You do not have any code in your portfolio, not even a script.
- You view AI as a temporary trend rather than a daily tool.
