Automation Controls Engineer II

TL;DR

Automation Controls Engineer II (Industrial Automation/PLC): Designing, building, and deploying custom automated manufacturing equipment with an accent on controls architecture, industrial safety systems, and end-to-end commissioning. Focus on applying first principles to diagnose root causes, validate control logic via offline simulations, and integrate PLC/HMI/robot programs into scalable production systems.

Location: Central Texas

Salary: $123,714.00 - $173,199.60 (CO applicants; other site ranges may differ)

Company

hirify.global develops reusable, safe, and low-cost space vehicles and in-space systems.

What you will do

• Collaborate on controls architecture for automated manufacturing equipment from concept through detailed design.
• Design control system architectures (network topology, I/O distribution, safety systems, communication protocols) and support industrial controls/electrical design.
• Develop offline simulations to validate control logic, robot paths, cycle times, and system behavior before hardware availability.
• Execute online debugging and commissioning of PLC, HMI, robot, and related industrial controls programs; integrate auxiliary equipment into unified control systems.
• Support factory/site acceptance testing and contribute to build, installation, commissioning, and start-up of automated manufacturing systems.
• Create controls documentation packages (sequence of operations, I/O lists, network diagrams, and program documentation).

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Electrical, Mechanical, Mechatronics, Controls, or related engineering.
• Minimum 2 years of hands-on experience developing or integrating industrial controls/automation systems, including PLC and HMI programming.
• Experience interpreting and reviewing electrical and mechanical drawings.
• Experience with industrial safety system design, including functional safety devices, safety PLCs, and safety-rated circuits.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Nice to have

• Familiarity with industrial automation and machine safety standards (IEC 61131, ANSI B11, NFPA 79, RIA R15.06; IEC 62061 / ISO 13849).
• Experience with offline programming/virtual commissioning simulation tools (e.g., Plant Simulate, Process Simulate, Visual Components, KUKA.Sim, RobotStudio).
• Experience with industrial machine vision systems (e.g., Cognex).
• Experience building/modifying/troubleshooting electrical control panels and using AutoCAD Electrical or EPLAN.

Culture & Benefits

• Benefits include medical, dental, vision, life insurance, paid parental leave, short/long-term disability, and a 401(k) with up to 5% company match.
• Education Support Program and stock options for regular employees working at least 20 hours/week.
• Paid time off up to four (4) weeks per year and up to 14 company-paid holidays.
• Safety, collaboration, and inclusion-focused culture within Operations (Manufacturing and Supply Chain support).

Hiring process

• Application review on an ongoing basis until the requisition is closed.
• Background check required for all positions; additional checks may apply for certain job profiles.