Automation Control Engineer

Automation & Control Engineer (Robotics / Industrial)About the role We're building robust, production-grade robotic cells. You'll own controls, networking, and low-level integration end-to-end: from cabinet design and PLC motion to real-time comms with robots, scanners, and back-end services. What you'll do • Design, implement, and commission control systems for robotic/automation cells (spec panel code FAT/SAT). • Integrate robots, PLCs, drives, sensors, safety devices, vision, and SCADA/MES. • Build reliable comms: EtherNet/IP, OPC UA, Modbus/TCP, EtherCAT, TCP/UDP sockets, REST/gRPC, MQTT. • Write controller and glue code in Python and/or C++ (Linux), and PLC logic (TwinCAT/Structured Text or TIA/Studio 5000). • Tune servos, configure motion axes, and bring up VFDs/servo drives. • Own networking: L2/L3, VLANs, routing, NAT, DHCP, DNS, firewalls, VPN; diagnose with Wireshark. • Implement industrial safety: E-stops, interlocks, safety relays/PLCs; document per ISO standards. • Stand up observability: logging, metrics, dashboards, alarms; basic OT cybersecurity hygiene. • Produce clean schematics, IO lists, cable schedules, and test procedures; keep everything in Git. • Field commissioning: travel to customer sites for installation, debugging, and handover. Must-have skills • Controls & PLCs: TwinCAT 3/Beckhoff (ST/TF), or Rockwell (Studio 5000/Logix), or Siemens (TIA/Step 7). • Networking & protocols: solid with EtherNet/IP, OPC UA, Modbus/TCP, raw sockets, TLS, certificates. • Programming: strong Python and/or C++ on Linux; can build/consume APIs (REST/gRPC), parse binary/JSON. • Robotics & motion: kinematics basics, coordinate frames, homing, limits, trajectories; servo/VFD setup. • Electrical: read/create schematics (EPLAN/AutoCAD Electrical), select components, size power, land wiring, and panel build. • Source control & release: Git, CI basics, issue tracking, code reviews. • Documentation & H&S: risk assessments, test plans, change logs; hands-on safety practice. Nice-to-haves • Robots: KUKA (RSI/EKI), Fanuc (KAREL), ABB (RAPID), UR (URScript/RTDE). • Fieldbus: EtherCAT config (EK1xxx I/O), PROFINET. • Vision & metrology: Keyence/LMI line scanners, OpenCV, calibration, triggering/encoders. • ROS 2 (Humble+): lifecycle nodes, messages/services, Cyclone DDS, bridging to OPC UA. • DevOps: Docker/Compose, systemd services, on-prem deployment, backups. • Safety standards: ISO 10218, ISO 13849-1/-2 (PL calcs), IEC 61508 basics. • Data & dashboards: InfluxDB/Timescale, Grafana, alerting. Outcomes you'll own (first 90 days) • One cell from cold start to production: panel powered, IO verified, safety validated, network segmented, comms online. • PLC/motion + Python/C++ glue that runs unattended for a week with metrics and logs. • Handover pack: schematics, IO map, IP plan, passwords/keys escrowed, and rollback plan tested. Tools you'll likely touch TwinCAT 3, TIA/Studio 5000, Wireshark, Beckhoff EK/EL I/O, KUKA RSI/EKI, OPC UA stacks (open62541/FreeOpcUa), Python (asyncio, pydantic, uvloop), CMake, Docker, GitHub Actions, Grafana/InfluxDB. Minimum experience • 38+ years shipping industrial automation or robotics systems. • Has commissioned real hardware (not just sims) and can talk through a gnarly on-site debug they solved. Location & travel • On-site for builds/commissioning; periodic travel to vendor/customer sites.