Senior Automation Controls Engineer

Senior Automation Controls Engineer

Santa Ana, California, United States

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

• 8+ PLC Programming, Define Specs, Development From Scratch & Troubleshooting : Fluent in programming from scratch and live troubleshooting across variety of PLCs, Rockwell ControlLogix/CompactLogix and FANUC PMC. Siemens and Beckhoff, etc.
• Demonstrated expertise with major PLC platforms (Allen-Bradley, Siemens, etc.) and associated programming software.
• SCADA/HMI Initiate, Define Architecture and Development, Ignition Platform : Full-cycle SCADA delivery on Ignition: tag provider design, UDT architecture, Perspective development, gateway scripting, named queries, historian configuration, and alarm pipeline setup. End-to-end ownership from device connectivity through validated historian tags. FactoryTalk View ME/SE, FT Optix experience is welcome too.
• Industrial Architecture & Networking : Strong understanding of SCADA architecture and common industrial communication protocols. Able to configure and maintain OPC-based connectivity across mixed equipment.
• Multi-Protocol Integration: Bridges heterogeneous controllers and CNC equipment into a unified SCADA/historian layer.
• Documentation & Standards Development Develops and maintains programming standards, SOPs, and SCADA design documentation.
• Independent Development, Commissioning & Maintenance Self-motivated. Developing, programming, troubleshooting systems end-to-end with minimum support. Equally effective working independently or at pace within a dynamic cross-functional team.
• Define Technical Specifications and Interface Directly with Vendors and OEMs
• Safety Assessment (Plus) Performance Level (PL) and Category assessment per ISO 13849.
• Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export controlled information or facilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience CNC & Robotics (Plus) Experience with CNC machine integration and robotic cell coordination.
• 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.

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