Automation Engineer (Sacramento)

Job Description

Job Description

Role    Automation Engineer 

Location    Sacramento, CA 

Department    Manufacturing 

Reports To    Head of Automation 

Position Type    Full-time 

About Peak Energy  

Peak Energy Technologies is the first American venture to advance globally proven Sodium-Ion battery systems as the storage standard for the new era of renewable energy on a resilient grid. Sodium-Ion is cheap, readily available and safe, making it the leading contender in a rapidly evolving market. 

We're a team of about 105 today growing rapidly as we move from pilot through commercial scale-up. We operate with modern tooling, including a company-wide AI platform and a builder-first culture that rewards taking ownership end-to-end. 

Our leadership team is powered by decades of expertise in scaling gigawatt-level innovation at world-class companies such as Tesla, Northvolt, Apple, Powin, Enovix, Zipline, Solid Power, and Fluence. We are backed by strategic investment and product partners such as Xora, Eclipse Ventures, and TDK Ventures. 

We are a team of engineers, operators, entrepreneurs, and partners driven by a shared ambition to set the new performance standard for renewable energy and grid resilience. 

About the Role: Automation Engineer  

The Automation Engineer is the first automation engineer on Peak Energy's Sacramento manufacturing team and the most senior individual contributor on the automation function. This is a hands-on technical role with broad ownership: you will support the selection and commissioning of vendor-supplied manufacturing equipment, take technical ownership of that equipment once it is on the floor, and work alongside a peer Controls Engineer on in-house designed equipment as that program develops. 

Our Sacramento manufacturing facility is in the planning and build-out phase. This person will be hired to help open it. That means participating in design reviews and Factory Acceptance Tests for vendor-supplied equipment before it ships, then being responsible for keeping that equipment running and driving targeted improvements to yield and cycle time once it is installed. For in-house designed equipment, the role starts as a supporting position and progresses toward full ownership as systems mature. 

There is no existing automation team to inherit. This person will be the technical foundation of it. 

Third-Party Equipment  

• Participate in design reviews for the acquisition of 3rd-party designed and programmed manufacturing equipment, providing technical input on automation architecture, PLC platform compatibility, and control system specifications 

• Participate in Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs) at vendor facilities, including occasional international travel, to validate that systems meet Peak Energy's requirements before shipment 

• Support Site Acceptance Tests (SATs) during installation and commissioning of incoming equipment at the Sacramento facility 

• Take technical ownership of commissioned 3rd-party equipment: responsible for system uptime, troubleshooting control system issues, and implementing targeted improvements to yield and cycle time 

• Equipment in scope includes welding systems, adhesive dispensing equipment, and torque tooling systems 

In-House Designed Equipment  

• Collaborate with a peer Controls Engineer on program loading and commissioning of in-house designed manufacturing equipment 

• Develop working knowledge of in-house equipment control architecture and progressively take on ownership responsibility as systems are commissioned and stabilized 

• Once ownership is established, apply the same uptime and improvement standards as for 3rd-party equipment 

Ongoing Automation and Controls Work  

• Design, configure, and maintain PLC programs using Beckhoff TwinCAT v3 to optimize production and ensure quality across facility equipment 

• Design and maintain SCADA systems and HMI interfaces using TwinCAT HMI as the primary platform, giving operators and engineers clear visibility into equipment status and performance 

• Establish and maintain connectivity between PLCs and MES systems to enable real-time production data, traceability, and process monitoring 

• Implement data acquisition systems to collect and analyze production data; use that data to identify and drive process improvements 

• Develop and maintain safety systems including emergency shutdown procedures and safety interlocks in compliance with applicable regulatory requirements 

• Create and maintain comprehensive automation documentation: control system designs, change management records, operator manuals, and maintenance procedures 

• Collaborate with equipment engineers, process engineers, and manufacturing leadership to ensure automation systems support production goals 

• Support root cause analysis on control system issues; document findings and corrective actions systematically 

What You'll Bring  

• Hands-on technical experience with Beckhoff PLCs, TwinCAT v3, and TwinCAT HMI; comfortable writing code and assessing the code of others 

• Fanuc robot programming using TP (teach pendant) and ROBOGUIDE; able to develop, simulate, and deploy robot programs offline before installation 

• Experience integrating vision systems into PLC and robot control logic, including pass/fail signal handling and communication with automation controllers 

• Proficiency with industrial network protocols including EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP, and PROFINET; able to configure and troubleshoot device-level communications 

• Working knowledge of robot cell safety architecture: safety-rated controllers, guarding design, light curtains, and safety I/O integration 

• Demonstrated experience supporting or leading Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs) and Site Acceptance Tests (SATs) for industrial manufacturing equipment, including working with 3rd-party vendors 

• Experience taking technical ownership of manufacturing equipment: troubleshooting, maintaining uptime, and driving yield and cycle time improvements 

• Proficiency with SCADA systems, HMI design, and industrial data acquisition platforms 

• Demonstrated experience establishing connectivity between PLC/SCADA systems and MES platforms for production traceability and data acquisition 

• Strong documentation skills; able to produce clear control system designs, procedures, and change records that others can follow and build on 

• Comfortable working as the most senior IC on a new team in an environment where standards and procedures are still being established 

• BS or MS in Electrical Engineering, Control Systems Engineering, or a related engineering discipline, or equivalent hands-on experience 

• Willingness to travel occasionally for Factory Acceptance Tests at vendor facilities, including internationally 

Preferred Qualifications  

• Hands-on experience with welding systems, adhesive dispensing equipment, or torque tooling in an industrial manufacturing environment 

• Experience with Cognex vision systems including In-Sight or VisionPro for inspection, guidance, or identification applications 

• Experience with force/torque sensing in compliant assembly applications 

• Experience integrating barcode or QR code scanning systems with MES for cell-level production traceability 

• Experience in battery manufacturing, semiconductor manufacturing, or other high-precision industrial environments 

• Familiarity with Ignition by Inductive Automation for SCADA and data acquisition 

• Experience at a company scaling from pilot production to commercial-scale manufacturing 

• Familiarity with BESS (Battery Energy Storage System) assembly processes and equipment 

• Comfort using modern AI tools in day-to-day workflow; we operate with Claude as a company-wide platform and reward engineers who use these tools to compound their output 

Diversity and Inclusion  

Peak Energy is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We strongly encourage women, people of color, and individuals from underrepresented groups to apply. We value skills, potential, and perspective over specific credentials. If you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't look perfect on paper, we still want to hear from you. 

Our Core Values  

• Speed Through Focus.  Move fast but understand why. Focus on the goal, don't s