Automation Controls Engineer III (Industrial Automation)

TL;DR

Automation Controls Engineer III (Industrial Automation): Designing, building, and deploying custom automated manufacturing equipment for scalable space vehicle production with an accent on controls architecture and systems integration. Focus on applying first-principles engineering to diagnose complex system failures and architecting sound solutions for novel automation challenges.

Location: Central Texas. Must be a U.S. citizen, national, permanent resident, or granted asylum.

Salary: $150,931 – $211,303

Company

hirify.global is a spaceflight and exploration company focused on developing reusable, safe, and low-cost space vehicles to enable millions of people to live and work in space.

What you will do

• Collaborate on conceptual automated manufacturing equipment and contribute to controls architecture from concept to detailed design.
• Design control system architectures, including network topology, I/O distribution, safety systems, and communication protocols.
• Develop offline simulations to validate control logic, robot paths, cycle times, and system behavior.
• Execute online debugging and commissioning of PLC, HMI, and robot industrial controls programs.
• Lead factory and site acceptance testing (FAT/SAT) and support the start-up of automated systems.
• Create comprehensive controls documentation, including sequence of operations and network diagrams.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Electrical, Mechanical, Mechatronics, Controls, or a related engineering field.
• Minimum 4 years of hands-on experience in industrial controls and automation, with PLC and HMI programming as core competencies.
• Experience with industrial automation platforms such as robots, material handling systems, or CNC machine integration.
• Ability to interpret and review electrical and mechanical drawings.
• Experience with industrial safety system design, including functional safety devices and safety PLCs.
• Must be a U.S. citizen, national, permanent resident (Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted as a refugee/asylee.

Nice to have

• Familiarity with machine safety standards (IEC 61131, ANSI B11, NFPA 79, RIA R15.06, ISO 13849).
• Experience with simulation software like Plant Simulate, Process Simulate, Visual Components, or KUKA.Sim.
• Experience with industrial machine vision systems, specifically Cognex platforms.
• Proficiency in AutoCAD Electrical, EPLAN, or similar electrical CAD tools.
• History of delivering custom automated systems from concept through production ramp-up.

Culture & Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401(k) with a company match of up to 5%.
• Stock options for all regular employees.
• Up to four weeks of paid time off and 14 company-paid holidays.
• Education Support Program.