Director, Automation & Controls Engineering

Location: Torrance, California, United States; onsite role

Salary: $221,130–$305,430 USD per year

Company

Divergent develops integrated engineering and manufacturing systems for demanding automotive, aerospace, and defense applications.

What you will do

• Lead delivery of electrical, PLC, HMI, SCADA, motion control, robotics, and machine-safety systems from requirements through validated production release.
• Set technical direction for controls architecture, technology platforms, engineering standards, reusable libraries, and configuration management across machines and factories.
• Define the roadmap for industrial robotics, autonomous machine operation, and advanced factory automation.
• Drive improvements in reliability, maintainability, functional safety, regulatory compliance, productivity, and production readiness.
• Build and develop a high-performing engineering organization through hiring, coaching, delegation, and technical leadership.
• Align engineering execution with Machine Development, R&D, Supply Chain, Production, Service, and other operational teams.

Requirements

• Ability to lawfully access information and technology subject to US export controls.
• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in industrial automation, controls, robotics, or complex automated equipment development.
• Experience leading engineering organizations and delivering complex, cross-functional machine or factory automation programs.
• Strong foundation in PLCs, electrical systems, industrial networking, motion control, robotics, and machine safety.
• Eligibility to work in the United States is required.

Nice to have

• Experience with complex capital equipment, advanced manufacturing, semiconductor, additive manufacturing, or robotics systems.
• Expertise in Beckhoff TwinCAT, IEC 61131-3 Structured Text, industrial networking, and motion control.
• Experience with industrial robotics, simulation, offline programming, and virtual commissioning.
• Knowledge of NEC, NFPA 79, UL 508A, functional safety, and machine risk assessment.
• Experience scaling controls architectures, engineering standards, and teams across machine fleets or factories.

Culture & Benefits

• Competitive salary, equity plan, and discretionary results-based incentive bonus opportunities.
• Paid vacation, sick time, company holidays, year-end shutdown, and paid parental leave.
• HMO and Premium PPO health plans, company-sponsored life insurance, and short- and long-term disability coverage.
• Reimbursement for learning and development initiatives.
• Collaborative, high-performing environment focused on advanced manufacturing and reducing industrial footprint.