Staff/Principal Automation & Controls Engineer

Location: Southern California

About the Company

Our client is an advanced manufacturing company developing next-generation production systems for industries where precision, flexibility, and technological innovation are critical. The company combines automation, robotics, software, electrical engineering, and advanced manufacturing technologies to build highly flexible manufacturing systems.

The engineering organization operates in a fast-moving, highly hands-on environment where engineers are expected to solve difficult problems, develop first-of-a-kind equipment, and remain closely involved from early architecture through deployment and production.

The Role

Our client is looking for a Staff/Principal Automation & Controls Engineer to help develop and deploy advanced robotic manufacturing and automation systems.

This is a broad, hands-on controls engineering role spanning PLC programming, industrial electrical systems, machine safety, automation architecture, factory data, and equipment commissioning. You will help architect new automation systems and lead their development from early concepts through detailed design, implementation, integration, and commissioning.

You will also play an important technical leadership and mentorship role within the controls organization. The position is an individual-contributor role, but you will be expected to provide technical direction, establish engineering standards and best practices, and help develop less-experienced engineers.

The ideal candidate is a strong controls generalist who has worked directly on complex manufacturing equipment and can take ownership of problems across multiple areas of an automation system. Experience with every technology listed below is not required; candidates with strong fundamentals and relevant hands-on experience will have the opportunity to develop expertise in additional platforms and technologies.

What You'll Own

• Architect and develop PLC, HMI, and SCADA control systems for advanced manufacturing equipment and factory modules.
• Develop automation software standards, frameworks, best practices, and engineering processes.
• Take automation systems from early architecture and concept development through detailed design, implementation, integration, and commissioning.
• Develop controls systems for new and experimental manufacturing processes in an R&D environment.
• Write and maintain PLC software using IEC 61131-3 Structured Text.
• Develop and troubleshoot industrial electrical and machine control systems.
• Support machine safety design, risk assessment, and implementation of industrial safety systems.
• Work hands-on with automation hardware, controls systems, and factory equipment during development, integration, commissioning, and production support.
• Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, manufacturing, software, and other engineering teams to resolve technical issues and keep projects moving.
• Help establish controls architectures and standards that can be reused across future manufacturing systems.
• Support factory operations by improving equipment performance, reliability, data visibility, and overall operational effectiveness.
• Contribute to factory data systems, including SCADA platforms, industrial databases, dashboards, and other tools used to support production decisions.
• Provide technical mentorship and guidance to engineers on controls design, programming, troubleshooting, and engineering practices.
• Help define project scope, technical requirements, schedules, and deliverables while remaining directly involved in hands-on engineering execution.

What You'll Need

• 7+ years of hands-on industrial automation and controls experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong experience with IEC 61131-3 Structured Text programming.
• Hands-on experience with industrial electrical systems and machine safety.
• Experience developing and commissioning automated machinery, manufacturing equipment, production cells, or similar industrial systems.
• Demonstrated technical leadership, mentorship, or ownership of engineering standards and practices.
• Ability and willingness to work 100% onsite in a manufacturing and factory environment.
• Ability to lawfully access information and technology subject to U.S. export-control requirements.
• Strong hands-on problem-solving skills and the ability to work effectively in a fast-moving engineering environment.

Nice to Have

Experience in some of the following areas is highly valuable, but candidates do not need to have every technology listed:

• Beckhoff TwinCAT and the Beckhoff hardware ecosystem.
• Industrial electrical design using NEC, NFPA 79, or UL 508A standards.
• EPLAN or AutoCAD Electrical for industrial electrical schematics.
• Industrial automation hardware, fieldbus interfaces, motion control, and industrial networking.
• Industrial safety systems, risk assessments, and safety-over-fieldbus technologies such as FSoE or PROFIsafe.
• SCADA, industrial databases, factory dashboards, or manufacturing data platforms.
• Industrial robot arms, particularly KUKA or ABB, including offline programming or virtual commissioning.
• Software engineering practices such as object-oriented programming, SOLID principles, unit testing, and Git.
• Experience defining controls standards, frameworks, processes, or training programs.
• Experience developing first-of-a-kind automation equipment or advanced manufacturing systems in a startup, R&D, or other rapidly changing environment.
• Experience working across the full lifecycle of automated equipment, from architecture and design through commissioning and production support.
• Experience in discrete manufacturing, including automotive, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, material processing, food and beverage, or similar environments.

Work Environment

This is a 100% onsite position based in Southern California.

The role involves working across office and factory environments and requires regular interaction with industrial automation and manufacturing equipment. Candidates should be comfortable working near moving mechanical parts and operating equipment.

Minimal travel is expected.

Compensation

The company is considering candidates at both the Staff and Principal Engineer levels, with final leveling and compensation determined through the interview process.

• Staff Engineer: $148,430 – $204,090 base salary
• Principal Engineer: $171,450 – $235,740 base salary

Relocation support may be available for qualified candidates.