Director of Automation & Controls Engineering

Divergent Technologies; New Mexico; On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Divergent Technologies seeks a Director of Automation & Controls Engineering to lead the automation backbone of its next generation machines and factories. You will define and deliver controls, robotics, electrical, safety, and factory automation systems to enable scalable, autonomous production.

The role combines technical direction with building an exceptional engineering organization, driving standards, governance, and cross-functional execution across Machine Development, R&D, Supply Chain,

Qualifications

• Strong foundation in PLCs, electrical systems, industrial networking, motion control, robotics, and safety.
• Experience leading engineering organizations and large cross-functional automation programs.
• Experience with complex capital equipment and manufacturing automation in advanced sectors.

Responsibilities

• Lead electrical, PLC, HMI, SCADA, motion control, robotics, and machine-safety systems from requirements to production release.
• Set technical direction for controls architecture and standardization across Divergent machines and factories.
• Drive reliability, maintainability, and regulatory compliance through rigorous validation.

Skills

Industrial automation

Robotics

Electrical engineering

PLC systems

HMI/SCADA

Motion control

Team leadership

Technical governance

System architecture

Safety standards

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering/Controls/Mechatronics/Robotics

Tools

Beckhoff TwinCAT

IEC 61131-3

Industrial networking

Job description

• As Director, Automation & Controls Engineering, you will lead the team building the automation backbone of Divergent’s next generation of machines and factories. You will define and deliver the controls, robotics, electrical, safety, and factory automation systems that turn complex manufacturing technology into reliable, scalable, and increasingly autonomous production
• This role owns both the technical direction and organizational capability required to push industrial automation forward—from first-of-kind machine development through fleet deployment and factory scale. You will build the architectures, standards, teams, and engineering systems that enable Divergent to move faster, automate more, reduce operator dependency, and create manufacturing systems capable of scaling far beyond traditional factories
• Development & Execution
• Lead delivery of electrical, PLC, HMI, SCADA, motion control, robotics, and machine-safety systems from requirements through validated production release
• Lead engineering execution to deliver systems on schedule and to technical, quality, and production-readiness requirements
• Ensure systems meet reliability, maintainability, functional safety, and regulatory compliance requirements through rigorous engineering and validation practices
• Architecture & Foundation
• Set technical direction for controls architecture, technology platforms, engineering standards, and integration across Divergent machines and factories
• Build scalable capabilities through modular architectures, reusable libraries, standardization, and disciplined configuration management
• Establish technical governance and engineering rigor to improve consistency, reliability, maintainability, and development efficiency
• Drive systemic reliability improvements by incorporating operational failures, corrective actions, and production learnings into future designs
• Robotics & Advanced Automation
• Define and execute the technology roadmap for industrial robotics, autonomous machine operation, and advanced factory automation
• Drive initiatives that reduce manual labor, operator dependency, manufacturing complexity, and cost while improving productivity
• Develop the technical capabilities, partnerships, and scalable automation platforms required for increasingly autonomous machines and factories
• Organizational & Strategic Leadership
• Build and develop a high-performing engineering organization through hiring, coaching, delegation, performance management, and development of technical leaders
• Establish an effective operating rhythm with clear ownership, priorities, accountability, resource management, and measurable outcomes
• Translate business objectives into engineering strategy, roadmaps, and investment priorities, balancing production support, reliability, technical debt, and future development
• Lead cross-functional alignment and execution across Machine Development, R&D, Supply Chain, Production, Service, and other operational teams

Strong technical foundation in PLCs, electrical systems, industrial networking, motion control, robotics, and machine safetyAbility to lawfully access information and technology that is subject to US export controls10+ years of experience in industrial automation, controls, robotics, or complex automated equipment developmentBachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics, Computer Engineering, or a related fieldProven experience leading engineering organizations and delivering complex, cross-functional machine or factory automation programsExperience developing complex capital equipment, advanced manufacturing, semiconductor, additive manufacturing, or robotics systemsExperience with industrial robotics, simulation, offline programming, and virtual commissioningExpertise in Beckhoff TwinCAT, IEC 61131-3 Structured Text, industrial networking, and motion controlKnowledge of NEC, NFPA 79, UL 508A, functional safety, and machine risk assessmentExperience scaling controls architectures, engineering standards, and teams across machine fleets or factories