Controls Engineer

Job Description

Job DescriptionControls EngineerJoby Aviation · Advanced Equipment Solutions (AES) Engagement 3-6 month contract with possibility of direct hire at end of contract Locations Marina, Watsonville, and Santa Cruz, California (can also work hybrid schedule) Work model At least 50% on-site; project needs determine the worksite. Commissioning, debug, panel work, and machine-down response happen on site and those weeks run heavier. Programming and documentation can be done remotely. We would rather have the right engineer on a flexible schedule than the wrong one full-time. Target start As soon as the right candidate clears selection and onboarding Reports to Manager, Advanced Equipment Solutions — who owns platform architecture, tag standards, and safety philosophy for this group About the teamAdvanced Equipment Solutions designs, builds, and commissions the production equipment used to manufacture composite aircraft structures — autoclaves, post-cure ovens, high-temperature presses, induction heating cells, and robotic work cells. We build these machines in house rather than buying turnkey: we specify, engineer, panel-build, program, commission, and qualify our own equipment, and we own the operating platform it runs on.Position summaryA hands-on controls engineer supporting the design, integration, modification, and commissioning of production and R&D equipment — primarily thermal-process machines requiring precise heating and controlled cooling. The work combines PLC programming, HMI/SCADA development, electrical design, panel work, field troubleshooting, and close collaboration with equipment engineers and technicians across three California sites.Key responsibilities

• Develop, modify, and troubleshoot PLC control systems on Allen-Bradley / Rockwell platforms (Studio 5000 / Logix)
• Build and maintain Ignition applications, with emphasis on Perspective and Edge on machine-level boxes
• Design control panels — schematics, component selection, BOMs — and support panel build, inspection, and field installation
• Integrate new production and R&D equipment into our established Rockwell and Ignition architecture
• Install, wire, and check out instrumentation: thermocouples, pressure and vacuum transducers, flow and level devices
• Implement heater and temperature control — SCR power control, PID loops, multi-zone thermal uniformity
• Configure process data capture to SQL historians for cure and thermal records
• Execute I/O checkout, loop tuning, functional testing, commissioning, and process optimization through to production readiness
• Integrate machine-safety devices — over-temperature chains, interlocks, light curtains, E-stop architecture — per the design provided and to safe engineering practice
• Document as you go: as-built schematics, I/O lists, tag documentation, test records

Core qualifications

• Practical controls or automation engineering experience in manufacturing, industrial equipment, or process automation
• Hands-on Allen-Bradley / Rockwell PLC programming, production-grade
• Hands-on Ignition, or a comparable SCADA/HMI platform with demonstrated ability to transition
• Able to program, configure, and stand up a control system from the ground up
• Control-panel design: electrical schematics, component selection, panel build or installation support
• Strong troubleshooting across PLC logic, instrumentation, electrical systems, HMI/SCADA, and connected equipment
• Comfortable in 480 VAC 3-phase industrial environments; understands grounding, protection, and panel safety practice
• Reads and marks up P&IDs, one-lines, and mechanical drawings
• Collaborative and adaptable — small close-knit team, rapidly changing priorities
• Able to work on-site across Marina, Watsonville, and Santa Cruz, and authorized to work in the US

Preferred experience

• Thermal-process equipment: autoclaves, ovens, furnaces, presses, induction heating, or other temperature-controlled process systems
• Watlow controllers (F4T / EZ-Zone) and SCR power controllers
• Thermocouple theory, calibration, and multi-zone uniformity survey work
• AMS2750 thermal processing, NADCAP, or equivalent regulated-process exposure
• Ignition Perspective and Edge development; Ignition certification (Core or Gold)
• SQL / time-series historians; PLC-to-database data capture
• Beckhoff PLCs and TwinCAT; FactoryTalk and related Rockwell software
• AutoCAD Electrical or EPLAN
• UL 508A panel practice
• Industrial safety systems, robotics integration, commissioning
• Aerospace, automotive, food, pharmaceutical, HVAC, or other process-equipment industry

EducationA degree in electrical engineering, controls, automation, mechatronics, or a related discipline is helpful but not required. Equivalent hands-on experience and demonstrated technical capability will be considered. A strong panel-and-PLC delivery record in any regulated manufacturing environment outweighs a specific diploma.Success in this role

• Shortens equipment development and implementation timelines
• Delivers reliable, maintainable controls that integrate with our existing platform
• Responds effectively when equipment needs change or urgent customization is required
• Builds trust quickly and contributes within a small engineering team

Working conditionsManufacturing floor environment. PPE required. Some work at elevation and in confined equipment spaces. Occasional travel to vendor and integrator sites.


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