Senior Automation Controls Engineer

Anduril; Santa Ana (CA); On-site; USD 146,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

Anduril Industries, a defense technology company in the Santa Ana area, seeks a Sr. Automation Controls Engineer to design and implement advanced control systems for automated manufacturing equipment. You will develop PLC programs, build HMI interfaces, and integrate equipment with MES/SCADA to optimize production and reliability.

The role requires deep experience across PLC platforms and strong documentation skills, with a focus on secure, scalable manufacturing solutions for defense hardware.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience programming PLCs for manufacturing environments.
• Experience with Allen-Bradley and Siemens PLC platforms.
• HMI development and integration with MES/SCADA systems.
• Ability to read electrical schematics and control system documentation.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop PLC-based control systems for automated manufacturing equipment and lines.
• Write, test, and debug PLC programs for multiple platforms.
• Develop intuitive HMI interfaces for operator efficiency and real-time visibility.
• Create electrical schematics, control narratives, and operation instructions.

Skills

PLC programming

HMI development

Electrical schematics reading

Industrial networking

System integration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field

Tools

Allen-Bradley PLC

Siemens PLC

HMI software

Job description

Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century’s most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. Anduril’s family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system that turns thousands of data streams into a realtime, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years.

ABOUT THE TEAM

Anduril's Manufacturing Technology, Maritime Team is seeking a Sr. Automation Controls Engineer to join our team. The Maritime Manufacturing Technology Team is responsible for rapidly developing and implementing manufacturing technologies and processes for cutting-edge defense hardware, including deployable static and moving surface, undersea and sea to air vehicles and scaling these products in our new manufacturing facilities.

ABOUT THE JOB

As a Sr. Automation Controls Engineer, you will be responsible for designing, developing, and implementing advanced control systems for automated manufacturing equipment and processes. The right person for this role has extensive experience with industrial automation control systems, including programming PLCs, HMI development, and system integration across a range of manufacturing applications. If you are passionate about creating innovative control solutions that optimize manufacturing processes and enable next-generation production capabilities, this role is for you.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Design and develop PLC-based control systems for automated manufacturing equipment, robotic cells, and integrated production lines.
• Write, test, and debug PLC programs for various platforms (Allen-Bradley, Siemens, etc.) to control manufacturing processes.
• Develop intuitive HMI interfaces that optimize operator efficiency and provide real-time process visibility.
• Create documentation for control systems, including electrical schematics, control narratives, and operator instructions.
• Integrate manufacturing equipment with higher-level systems, including MES, SCADA, and data collection platforms.
• Implement data acquisition systems that capture process parameters for analysis and continuous improvement.
• Troubleshoot and optimize existing control systems to improve reliability and performance.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop control requirements for new manufacturing processes.
• Support commissioning and startup of new automated equipment, including debugging and optimization.
• Implement industry best practices for control system security, reliability, and maintainability.
• Stay current with emerging technologies in industrial automation and control systems.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related technical field.
• 8+ years of experience programming PLCs and developing control systems for manufacturing applications.
• Demonstrated expertise with major PLC platforms (Allen-Bradley, Siemens, etc.) and associated programming software.
• Experience with HMI development and implementation.
• Knowledge of industrial communication protocols (Ethernet/IP, Profinet, Modbus, etc.).
• Experience integrating various manufacturing equipment into cohesive automated systems.
• Ability to read and develop electrical schematics and control system documentation.
• Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export controlled information or facilities.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with robotics integration and programming.
• Knowledge of motion control systems and servo applications.
• Experience with machine vision systems and their integration with control systems.
• Background in SCADA systems and data acquisition architectures.
• Familiarity with Industry 4.0 concepts and IIoT implementations.
• Experience with simulation tools for control system validation.
• Knowledge of cybersecurity principles for industrial control systems.
• Experience in maritime or defense manufacturing environments.

US Salary Range $146,000 — $220,000 USD

The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full time offers; and are considered part of Anduril's total compensation package. Additionally, Anduril offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including:

Benefits

At Anduril, we invest in our people. Our comprehensive, competitive benefits package (available at little to no cost to employees) ensures you’re supported in health, recovery, and whatever comes next. For more information, Explore Our Benefits.

Protecting Yourself from Recruitment Scams

Anduril is committed to maintaining the integrity of our Talent acquisition process and the security of our candidates. We've observed a rise in sophisticated phishing and fraudulent schemes where individuals impersonate Anduril representatives, luring job seekers with false interviews or job offers. These scammers often attempt to extract payment or sensitive personal information.

To ensure your safety and help you navigate your job search with confidence, please keep the following critical points in mind:

• No Financial Requests: Anduril will never solicit payment or demand personal financial details (such as banking information, credit card numbers, or social security numbers) at any stage of our hiring process. Our legitimate recruitment is entirely free for candidates.
• Please always verify communications:
  • Direct from Anduril: If you receive an email from one of our recruiters, it will only come from an @anduril.com address.
  • Via Agency Partner: If contacted by a recruiting agency for an Anduril role, their email will clearly identify their agency. If you suspect any suspicious activity, please verify the agency's authenticity by reaching out to [e-mail].
• Exercise Caution with Unsolicited Outreach: If you receive any communication that appears suspicious, contains grammatical errors, or makes unusual requests, do not engage. Always confirm the sender's email domain is @anduril.com before providing any personal information or clicking on links.
• What to Do If You Suspect Fraud: Should you encounter any questionable or fraudulent outreach claiming to be from Anduril, please report it immediately to [e-mail]. Your proactive caution is invaluable in protecting your personal information and upholding the security and trustworthiness of our recruitment efforts.

Data Privacy

To view Anduril's candidate data privacy policy, please visit https://anduril.com/applicant-privacy-notice/.

By submitting your application, you consent to Anduril Industries using a third-party service provider to conduct pre-employment risk, integrity, and due diligence screening and assessing potential risks as part of your application process. This third-party service provider provides risk‑intelligence services that may include analysis of sanctions and watchlists, adverse media, public‑record information, and other lawful open‑source or commercial data sources. This third-party service provider does not act as a consumer reporting agency. Use of this provider helps to ensure compliance with applicable laws and protect technology, intellectual property, and organizational security.