Lead Automation Engineer - Controls & Factory Systems

Mach Industries; Huntington Beach (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Mach Industries seeks a Principal Automation Engineer, Controls to own the architecture, development, and deployment of our factory controls platform, establishing Beckhoff TwinCAT as the standard and leading pilot line automation.

You will design, program, integrate, and commission equipment for $20M+ automation programs, scaling architectures with external integrators. This is a hands-on leadership role spanning architecture to Run at Rate.

Qualifications

• Experience owning controls architecture and development for factory automation.
• Pilot manufacturing line design, programming, and commissioning experience.
• Knowledge of safety PLCs, machine safety, interlocks, guarding, and safety validation.
• Ability to lead systems integrators on large automation capital programs and define acceptance criteria.

Responsibilities

• Own Mach's factory controls architecture and technical roadmap, standardized around Beckhoff TwinCAT.
• Define standards for PLC software, Beckhoff IPCs, EtherCAT I/O, motion control, industrial networks, machine safety, diagnostics, and factory interfaces.
• Develop reusable TwinCAT software libraries, machine state models, fault handling, recovery strategies, and programming standards.
• Own controls and functional-safety architecture, including safety PLCs, safe motion, interlocks, guarding, emergency stops, and safety validation.
• Personally design, program, integrate, and commission automation equipment for pilot manufacturing lines.
• Translate successful pilot architectures into scalable equipment standards and specifications for production systems.
• Develop controls requirements, Statements of Work, design standards, and acceptance criteria for externally integrated equipment.
• Serve as the controls technical lead for systems integrators executing $20M+ automation programs.
• Lead technical design reviews across electrical systems, PLC software, robotics, motion, networking, machine safety, and factory interfaces.
• Lead controls execution through FAT, SAT, installation, commissioning, and production launch.
• Troubleshoot complex interactions between PLCs, robotics, motion systems, machine vision, instrumentation, safety systems, and factory software.
• Optimize machine sequences, cycle time, fault recovery, reliability, and OEE during production ramp.

Skills

Beckhoff TwinCAT

PLC programming

Controls architecture

Industrial automation

System integration

Safety systems

Production commissioning

Tools

Beckhoff TwinCAT

EtherCAT

Job description

Mach Industries seeks a Principal Automation Engineer, Controls to own the architecture, development, and deployment of our factory controls platform, establishing Beckhoff TwinCAT as the standard and leading pilot line automation.

You will design, program, integrate, and commission equipment for $20M+ automation programs, scaling architectures with external integrators. This is a hands-on leadership role spanning architecture to Run at Rate.