Staff Machine Control Software Engineer

Halo Industries, Inc.; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Care Plan

401k

Paid Time Off

Life Insurance

Family Leave

Free Food & Snacks

Stock Option Plan

Short/Long Term Disability

Job summary

Halo Industries, Inc. is seeking an experienced Machine Control Software Engineer to lead the design, development, and deployment of production-line control and automation systems.

You will architect interfaces across equipment, factory systems, and subsystems, integrating C# GUI with hardware control and monitoring. The role involves collaborating with PLCs (Beckhoff preferred), maintaining standards, and ensuring reliable state machines and data acquisition.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in software or related technical discipline.
• 10+ years building high-reliability production-line control systems.
• Strong knowledge of industrial protocols: SECS/GEM, EtherCAT, Modbus, TCP/IP, RS232/RS485, OPC UA, Ethernet/IP.
• Proficiency in C# for GUI and device communication.
• PLC programming experience, Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 preferred.
• C++/C# with WPF and .NET for hardware control and data visualization.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and development of operator control systems for production-line tools.
• Architect interfaces between equipment, factory systems, and subsystems.
• Develop software in C# for GUI and device communication; integrate with hardware control.
• Collaborate with PLCs and enforce consistent control logic (IEC 61131-3).
• Define and enforce software standards across production equipment.
• Design high-level interfaces for lasers, robotics, motion control, and data acquisition.

Skills

C#

PLC programming

WPF

.NET

Education

Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering or CS

Tools

Beckhoff TwinCAT 3

SECS/GEM

EtherCAT

Modbus

OPC UA

Ethernet/IP

RS232/RS485

Job description

The Company

Halo Industries has invented a technology to replace a decades-old semiconductor material wire saw slicing process that wastes billions of dollars annually in high-value materials.

Halo’s laser-based technology eliminates this waste from the silicon carbide (SiC) substrate manufacturing process, delivering improvements in both material cost and performance, while enabling accelerated growth for a diverse set of high-growth application markets, including the electric vehicle, grid infrastructure, industrial HVAC and other high-voltage power electronics sectors.

Halo originally spun out of Stanford University in 2014, acquiring a significant series A round of VC funding in 2020 following the successful demonstration of the company’s precision material slicing equipment. Having recently closed on an $80M+ B round of VC funding, Halo is driving the fast-scale growth of the company’s team and manufacturing operations.

Halo Industries is well-funded, deeply engaged with multiple strategic customers, and staged to achieve rapid operational, revenue, and valuation growth.

The Opportunity

The evolution of Halo’s technology and equipment, growing from an R&D focus to a production manufacturing environment, has triggered the need for an experienced Machine Control Software Engineer who can lead the design, development, and deployment of the company’s production line equipment control and automation strategy.

Job Description

• Lead the design and development of operator control systems for production-line mechanical and opto-mechanical tools.
• Architect and implement communication interfaces between equipment, factory systems, and subsystems (e.g., motion control, sensors, lasers, and robotics).
• Develop and integrate industrial communication protocols, including SECS/GEM, TCP/IP, EtherCAT, Modbus, Ethernet/IP, and RS232/RS485.
• Develop software in C# for GUI and device communication, integrating user interfaces with hardware control and system monitoring.
• Collaborate with PLC systems (Beckhoff preferred) and ensure consistent control logic using Structured Text (IEC 61131-3) and Ladder Logic.
• Define and enforce control software standards across production equipment.
• Design and maintain high-level device interfaces for lasers, robotics, motion control, and data acquisition hardware.
• Integrate and test machine vision systems (Cognex VisionPro, In-Sight Deep Learning).
• Build and debug state machines for automation control ensuring reliability and recoverability.
• Collaborate closely with mechanical, electrical, and integration engineers to develop end-to-end solutions.
• Conduct thorough system-level and component-level testing.
• Maintain rigorous documentation, version control, and issue tracking (Git, Jira, Confluence).
• Work within Agile development cycles to iterate and deploy features efficiently.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical discipline.
• 10+ years of experience implementing high-reliability, production-line control systems.
• Deep understanding of industrial communication protocols: SECS/GEM, EtherCAT, Modbus, TCP/IP, RS232/RS485, OPC UA, Ethernet/IP.
• Proficiency in C# for GUI development and device communication.
• Proficiency in PLC programming, ideally Beckhoff TwinCAT 3.
• Proficiency in C++/C#, WPF, and .NET for hardware control, GUI development, and data visualization.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong working knowledge of servos, stepper motors, sensors, actuators, and I/O systems.
• Experience with ACS motion control and machine automation architectures.
• Familiarity with Git, Jira, and Confluence for collaborative software development.
• Semiconductor manufacturing or equipment automation experience.
• Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) integration.
• Expertise in mechatronics/automation design (motor sizing, actuator selection, sensor configuration).
• Prior startup or scale-up experience, ideally transitioning from R&D to production.
• Experience with database systems and factory automation integration.

Benefits

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan (401k, IRA)
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity)
• Free Food & Snacks
• Stock Option Plan
• Short Term & Long Term Disability
• Base salary $160,000 - $200,000

Additional Information

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all team members feel valued and supported. We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds, including those from underrepresented communities in STEM. If you meet most of the qualifications and are excited about this opportunity, we encourage you to apply.