Principal Controls Automation Engineer & TwinCAT Architect

Mach Industries Inc.; Huntington Beach, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 195,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity participation

Healthcare

Retirement plan

Paid time off

Professional development

Transparency about compensation

Job summary

Mach Industries seeks a Principal Automation Engineer, Controls to own the architecture, development, and deployment of our factory controls platform. You will establish Beckhoff TwinCAT as Mach's standardized controls platform, personally develop automation equipment for pilot production lines, and scale those architectures through external systems integrators executing $20M+ capital equipment programs.

This is a hands-on technical leadership role.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Mechatronics, or related discipline.
• 8+ years of experience developing industrial automation, controls, or complex electromechanical systems.
• Strong PLC programming experience and ability to personally develop and debug production controls software.
• Demonstrated ownership of controls architecture for complex automated equipment or manufacturing systems.
• Experience taking automated equipment from design through integration, commissioning, and production.

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.
• Maintain technical ownership until manufacturing systems achieve defined Run at Rate and production-readiness milestones.
• Mentor automation engineers and establish controls engineering best practices across Mach.

Skills

PLC programming

Controls architecture

Industrial automation

System integration

Troubleshooting complex equipment

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related

Tools

Beckhoff TwinCAT 3

EtherCAT

Beckhoff IPCs

OPC UA

Job description

Mach Industries seeks a Principal Automation Engineer, Controls to own the architecture, development, and deployment of our factory controls platform. You will establish Beckhoff TwinCAT as Mach's standardized controls platform, personally develop automation equipment for pilot production lines, and scale those architectures through external systems integrators executing $20M+ capital equipment programs.

This is a hands-on technical leadership role.