Controls Engineer – End-to-End Project Owner (Senior / Staff)

Deterrence Defense, Inc.; Fremont (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Deterrence Defense, Inc. in Fremont, CA is seeking a Senior/Staff Controls Engineer to own the controls scope of an entire automated manufacturing system from concept through production handoff.

Based in Fremont, you will be the single controls point of accountability for architecture, specification, panel and network design, PLC/HMI development, safety, integrator management, FAT/SAT, and site commissioning.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Electrical, Controls, Mechatronics, or related field.
• Senior: 6+ years in industrial controls, with at least one full project end-to-end.
• Staff: 8+ years in industrial controls, with at least one full project end-to-end.

Responsibilities

• Own controls architecture, specification, and delivery for a complete line or program.
• Define PLC, HMI/SCADA, safety, motion, and network architecture; select hardware and standards.
• Develop Siemens TIA Portal and Ignition applications; set coding standards and version control.
• Design and validate safety systems to ISO 13849, IEC 61508, and ISO 10218; risk assessments.
• Specify and manage controls scope with integrators and OEMs; lead design reviews and acceptance.
• Integrate FANUC robotics, vision, and instrumentation into the control system.
• Lead FAT at vendor sites and SAT/commissioning at production sites; drive stable production.
• Build project plans, schedules, and risk registers; report to program leadership.
• Mentor controls engineers and technicians; develop reusable templates and libraries.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Controls/Mechatronics

6+ years in industrial controls (Senior)

8+ years in industrial controls (Staff)

Tools

Siemens TIA Portal

Ignition SCADA

FANUC programming

ROBOGUIDE

GitHub workflows

Project Server

Job description

Fremont, CA

Summary

The Senior / Staff Controls Engineer owns the controls scope of an entire automated manufacturing system from concept through production handoff. Based in Fremont, this engineer is the single controls point of accountability for a program: architecture, specification, panel and network design, PLC/HMI development, safety, integrator management, FAT/SAT, and site commissioning. We are hiring multiple engineers, one per program. The ideal candidate has carried a complete line or major cell through to production as the responsible controls engineer and is ready to do it again with more ownership.

Key Responsibilities

• Own controls architecture, specification, and delivery for a complete equipment line or program.
• Define PLC, HMI/SCADA, safety, motion, and network architecture; select hardware and standards.
• Develop and review Siemens TIA Portal and Ignition applications; set coding standards and revision-control practices.
• Design and validate safety systems to ISO 13849, IEC 61508, and ISO 10218; author risk assessments and validation plans.
• Specify and manage controls scope with integrators and OEMs; lead design reviews and acceptance.
• Integrate FANUC robotics, vision, and instrumentation into the control system.
• Lead FAT at vendor sites and SAT/commissioning at production sites; drive to stable production.
• Build project plans, schedules, and risk registers for the controls scope; report to program leadership.
• Mentor controls engineers and technicians; establish reusable templates and libraries.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Controls, Mechatronics, or related engineering field, or equivalent experience.
• Senior: 6+ years · Staff: 8+ years in industrial controls, including at least one full project owned end to end.
• Expert with Siemens TIA Portal; strong Ignition or comparable SCADA.
• Demonstrated safety-system design and validation experience.
• Experience managing integrators and OEMs and leading FAT/SAT.
• Industrial networks: Profinet, OPC UA, Ethernet/IP, managed switching.
• Ability to travel to vendor and production sites (estimated 25-40%).

Level Expectations

Staff additionally sets controls standards across programs, owns the controls roadmap with the hardware and software leads, and is the escalation point for multi-program issues.

Preferred Skills

• FANUC programming; ROBOGUIDE or virtual commissioning.
• Ignition Core or Gold certification; TÜV Functional Safety.
• Hazardous-materials or energetics process controls experience.
• Siemens Project Server and GitHub-based controls workflows.
• Aerospace, munitions, battery, or automotive equipment background.