Automation Engineer

Cool Clean Technologies, LLC; Eagan (MN); On-site; USD 80,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and 401(k) retirement

Paid time off

Paid holidays

Job summary

Cool Clean Technologies is seeking an Automation Engineer to own the controls and automation design of CO₂ snow spray cleaning cells from concept to customer acceptance. You will define control architecture, write PLC and HMI code, program robots, and drive integration, testing, and commissioning with the build team and process engineers in Minnesota.

You will travel domestically and internationally roughly 10–20% of the year for installation, commissioning, training, and technical support,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical, mechanical, mechatronics, robotics, or a related engineering discipline.
• 2+ years of hands‑on automation engineering experience designing, programming, integrating, or commissioning industrial automated equipment.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and troubleshoot PLC logic and HMI applications on at least one major platform (Allen‑Bradley/Rockwell, Siemens, Beckhoff, or similar).
• Ability to create and work from electrical schematics, P&IDs, and mechanical drawings, and to specify control and instrumentation hardware.
• Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally 10–20% of the time, including holding or being able to obtain a valid US passport.

Responsibilities

• Design control architecture — select PLCs, HMIs, drives, I/O, safety controllers, sensors, and networking; produce schematics, panel layouts, I/O lists, BOMs.
• Develop PLC, HMI, and motion software — write structured control code; build operator interfaces, recipe management, alarm handling, and data logging.
• Program robots and motion systems — develop and optimize robot, gantry, conveyor, and rotary-stage programs and spray paths.
• Engineer the CO2 process interface — specify nozzles, CO2 supply, regulators, heaters, and process instrumentation; define safety/control strategy.
• Design for safety and compliance — apply risk assessment, functional safety, machine safety standards; support CE and other requirements.
• Test and qualify systems — plan FAT, functional checks, safety verification, and cleaning-performance validation; record results.

Skills

PLC programming

HMI development

Robot programming

Electrical wiring

System integration

Safety compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree in electrical, mechanical, mechatronics, robotics, or controls

Associate's degree plus automation experience

Tools

Allen-Bradley/Rockwell

Siemens

Beckhoff

Job description

At Cool Clean Technologies, our mission is to help prevent cancer and create a cleaner world. For more than 25 years, we have designed, built, and supported CO₂ cleaning systems for highly regulated applications across aerospace, automotive, medical devices, semiconductors, optics, precision manufacturing, and fire-service PPE decontamination.

We are growing our Automation team to keep pace with demand for turnkey automated CO₂ snow spray cleaning cells across a widening range of industries and applications.

About the Role

As an Automation Engineer, you will own the controls and automation design of CO₂ snow spray cleaning cells from concept through customer acceptance. You will define control architecture, write and structure PLC and HMI code, program robots and motion systems, specify electrical and instrumentation hardware, and drive integration, testing, and commissioning of complete systems. You will work closely with mechanical engineering, the build team, and process engineering in our Minnesota shop, and travel to customer facilities in North America and abroad roughly 10–20% of the year for installation, commissioning, training, and technical support.

This is a role for an engineer who wants ownership of a machine end to end — someone comfortable specifying hardware at a desk in the morning, debugging a safety circuit on the floor in the afternoon, and standing behind their code when the cell runs in production.

What You'll Do

• Design control architecture — Select and specify PLCs, HMIs, drives, I/O, safety controllers, sensors, and networking for automated CO₂ cleaning cells; produce electrical schematics, panel layouts, I/O lists, and bills of material.
• Develop PLC, HMI, and motion software — Write structured, maintainable, reusable control code; build operator interfaces, recipe and cycle management, alarm handling, and data logging for varied part geometries and cleaning requirements.
• Program robots and motion systems — Develop and optimize robot, gantry, conveyor, and rotary-stage programs and spray paths, including tooling and coordinate-frame setup.
• Engineer the CO₂ process interface — Specify and tune snow-spray nozzles, CO₂ supply, regulators, heaters, and process instrumentation, and define the control strategy that makes spray performance safe and repeatable.
• Design for safety and compliance — Apply risk assessment, functional safety, and machine safety standards (ISO 13849 / IEC 62061, NFPA 79) and support CE and other requirements for internationally shipped machines.
• Test and qualify systems — Plan and lead factory acceptance testing (FAT), functional checks, safety verification, and cleaning-performance validation; capture results in structured test records.
• Commission at customer sites — Travel domestically and internationally (roughly 10–20% of the year) to install, start up, and hand off automated cells; train customer operators, maintenance, and engineering staff.
• Support and continuously improve — Diagnose controls, electrical, mechanical, and pneumatic issues in the shop, in the field, and remotely; feed learnings back into standard designs to improve reliability, serviceability, cycle time, and cost.
• Own the documentation — Maintain as-built drawings, I/O and network documentation, code version control, test records, and commissioning reports.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical, mechanical, mechatronics, robotics, controls, or a related engineering discipline — or an associate's degree plus substantial equivalent automation engineering experience.
• 2+ years of hands‑on automation engineering experience designing, programming, integrating, or commissioning industrial automated equipment (machine builder, OEM, integrator, or in‑house automation all count).
• Demonstrated ability to develop and troubleshoot PLC logic and HMI applications on at least one major platform (Allen‑Bradley/Rockwell, Siemens, Beckhoff, or similar).
• Ability to create and work from electrical schematics, P&IDs, and mechanical drawings, and to specify control and instrumentation hardware.
• Working knowledge of industrial sensors, pneumatics, motor control (VFDs, servos, steppers), industrial networking, and machine safety circuits (light curtains, e‑stops, safety relays/controllers).
• Comfort working hands‑on: wiring, panel checkout, mechanical adjustment, and debug alongside the build team rather than only at a desk.
• Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally 10–20% of the time, including holding or being able to obtain a valid US passport.
• Strong troubleshooting instincts and skills, disciplined documentation habits (including ability to manage correspondence with both clients and the Cool Clean team), and the ability to represent Cool Clean independently at a customer site.

Strongly Preferred

• Experience programming or integrating industrial robots (FANUC, ABB, KUKA, Yaskawa, UR, or similar) and/or Cartesian/gantry motion systems.
• Experience with machine vision, barcode/traceability, and OPC UA / EtherNet/IP / PROFINET networking.
• Experience with pressurized gas or cryogenic systems, precision cleaning, spray/coating, or similar process equipment.
• Familiarity with functional safety concepts (ISO 13849 / IEC 62061) and CE marking for machines shipped internationally.
• Experience owning a project through FAT, SAT, and customer acceptance, including direct communication with customer engineering and maintenance teams.

Nice to Have

• Exposure to Bosch ctrlX, EtherCAT, or other modern PC/edge-based control platforms.
• French, Spanish, or another second language useful for international commissioning.
• Experience with ERP‑based work orders and BOM‑driven builds (SAP, ERPNext, or similar).

Physical and Work Environment

• Shop and lab environment with occasional exposure to compressed gases, cold surfaces from CO₂, and standard machine‑shop hazards; PPE provided and required.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs, work on ladders and lifts, and spend extended time on your feet during builds, testing, and installations.
• Travel by air and ground to customer sites, including international destinations; occasional non‑standard hours during commissioning and service events.
• Competitive salary: target range of $80,000–$105,000 per year depending on depth of controls, robotics, and process‑equipped experience; higher end for engineers who bring strong PLC and robot programming plus commissioning ownership.
• Travel Compensation: Eligible business travel time is compensated in accordance with applicable law and company policy. Company‑paid travel expenses include airfare, lodging, rental transportation, and applicable meals/per diem for qualifying business travel.
• Benefits: Medical, dental, and 401(k) retirement plan; paid time off; and paid holidays.
• Technical training: Receive hands‑on training on Cool Clean Technologies CO₂ cleaning platforms, automation systems, and processes, with opportunities to expand your skills across mechanical, electrical, controls, robotics, and process disciplines.
• Meaningful work in a stable company: Join a family‑and veteran‑owned company with more than 25 years of experience and a clear technical mission: keeping harmful contaminants away from people and out of the water supply.

Cool Clean Technologies is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.