Controls Engineer Contract

VulcanForms Inc.; Harvard (MA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 124,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

Job summary

VulcanForms Inc. in Devens, MA seeks a Controls Engineer to commission and troubleshoot automation hardware for our metal AM systems. You’ll help scale our unique L-PBF process to factory production and evolve toward continuous improvement and upgrades, with weekend shifts Friday–Monday.

You’ll design, develop, and support control systems and software, collaborate across teams, and help build a highly productive manufacturing platform with safety and reliability at the core.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree with relevant years of experience as specified.
• Experience in design, development, commissioning, and troubleshooting of control systems.
• Experience with modern industrial control systems including motion control, safety, HMI, data collection.
• Experience with B&R (preferred) or Beckhoff automation platforms.
• Ability to program IEC 61131-3 languages: LD, SFC, FBD, CFC, ST.
• Proficient with version control (GitHub) in multi-developer projects.
• Experience with sensors/actuators and selecting appropriate for applications.
• Ability to read/generate electrical schematics and assemble control panels.

Responsibilities

• Develop, integrate, test, commission, and support automation and control hardware/software.
• Develop and optimize machine data transfer and collection systems for AM production.
• Contribute to building a highly productive additive manufacturing system.
• Collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams to maximize system efficiency and reliability.

Skills

Automation & control engineering

IEC 61131-3 languages (LD, SFC, FBD, C

B&R / Beckhoff automation platforms

Version control: GitHub

Electrical schematics & control panels

Sensors & actuators selection

Industrial networks & protocols

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, robotics, or relevant field

Master’s degree in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, robotics, or relevant field

Tools

B&R Automation

Beckhoff

GitHub

Electrical schematics software

Job description

Job Purpose

As a Controls Engineer at VulcanForms Inc., Devens, MA, you will be the key contributor to the team responsible for taking our unique in-house L-PBF process to a factory scale. VulcanForms Inc. is a manufacturer of complex, high value engineered components in serial production at the world’s most powerful metal additive foundry.

Your initial primary focus will be the hands‑on commissioning and troubleshooting of new equipment and its integration into the production environment. The role will evolve to include recent development efforts related to continuous process improvement and managing rollouts of equipment upgrades. This role will be weekend-based from Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.

Key Responsibilities

• Experience in developing, integrating, testing, commissioning, and supporting automation and control hardware and software for industrial-scale metal additive manufacturing (AM) machines and support equipment.
• Experience in developing and optimizing the AM production ecosystem’s machine data transfer and collection systems.
• Advanced contribution to the effort of building the world’s most productive additive manufacturing system.
• Collaborate with cross-disciplinary team members to maximize the efficiency and reliability of these systems.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, robotics, or relevant field with 7+ years of relevant work experience, or Master’s degree in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, robotics, or relevant field with 1+ years of relevant work experience
• Demonstrated experience with the design, development, commissioning, and troubleshooting of both hardware and software associated with control systems for various industrial manufacturing equipment and processes
• Experience should span all facets of modern industrial control systems, including but not limited to single and multi‑axis coordinated motion control, safety systems, HMI, data collection, process monitoring, industrial networks and communications using various protocols, Etc.
• Experience with automation platforms such as B&R (preferred), Beckhoff, or others
• Demonstrated ability to program in at least three IEC 61131-3 languages: LD, SFC, FBD, CFC, and ST (ST and SFC preferred)
• Comfortable with the use of version control software (e.g., GitHub) in a multi‑developer project environment
• Experience with a wide variety of sensors and actuators and the ability to select/recommend the best for a particular application
• Experience with reading and generating electrical schematics, selection, and sizing control systems and power distribution components, and directing the assembly of electrical control panels that meet applicable electrical design and safety standards (e.g., NFPA 79 or IEC 60204-1)

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated understanding and experience designing and tuning closed‑loop systems to control position, pressure, flow, and temperature
• Experience generating precise system-level documentation: SW design, Root cause analysis, and Engineering Change Orders
• Demonstrated attention to detail and a strong desire to take work from concept to completion
• Highly motivated, a strong independent worker, creative, and willing to learn
• Strong sense of ownership
• Team player with excellent communication skills
• Excited about taking on new challenges in the metal additive manufacturing industry and working in a fast‑paced startup environment
• Self‑motivated, hands‑on, with a practical mindset, and capable of setting and reaching ambitious goals
• Additive Manufacturing (AM) or Laser Welding experience
• Experience with Additive Manufacturing methods like Powder Bed Fusion (PBF), Directed Energy Deposition (DED), or Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS)

VulcanForms offers a competitive hourly compensation. Actual compensation is based on factors such as the candidate’s skills, qualifications, and experience. In addition, VulcanForms provides comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance; generous paid time off; and a 401(k) plan with company match.

The hourly pay range for this position is $65–$90/hr.