Automation Controls Engineer III

BLUE ORIGIN • Huntsville, AL

1d • Onsite

About The Position

At Blue Origin, we envision millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. We’re working to develop reusable, safe, and low-cost space vehicles and systems within a culture of safety, collaboration, and inclusion. Join our team of problem solvers as we add new chapters to the history of spaceflight! This role is part of Blue Origin Operations, which is comprised of Integrated Supply Chain, Test Operations, Safety, Quality, and Mission Assurance. This includes Manufacturing and Supply Chain support across all Blue Origin facilities. Automation Controls Engineer About This Role Blue Origin's Factory Automation team is part of the Advanced Manufacturing organization within Operations — serving as the in-house automation integrator responsible for designing, building, and deploying the custom equipment and systems that enable scalable, repeatable production across Blue Origin's manufacturing business units. This team's focus is on advancing automation within an existing production facility — developing and integrating automated solutions that improve the safety, quality, and efficiency of active manufacturing operations, and directly drive the delivery of Blue Origin's products. We are looking for an experienced Automation Controls Engineer who brings solid hands-on expertise in industrial controls design and automation systems integration — someone who is equally comfortable writing PLC logic and reading an electrical schematic, and who takes full ownership of their work from initial concept through commissioning and production support. This role is grounded in the fundamentals of controls engineering: you will design, develop, and deploy industrial control systems for custom automated manufacturing equipment, collaborate across mechanical and applications engineering disciplines, and apply both industry and internal Factory Automation standards to deliver solutions that work in the real world. Familiarity with mechanical systems and mechatronics principles is a plus — but your foundation is in controls and electrical. A passion for our mission — and for the discipline of building systems that work — is essential.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Mechatronics, Mechanical Engineering, or a related engineering field
• Minimum 4 years of hands-on experience designing, developing, and integrating industrial controls and automation systems from scratch — with PLC, HMI, and robot programming as core competencies, including demonstrated experience across industrial automation platforms such as Siemens TIA Portal, KUKA, or equivalent
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and review electrical drawings, including panel layouts, wiring diagrams, and I/O schematics
• Experience with industrial safety system design, including safety-rated devices, safety PLCs, and safety-rated circuits in compliance with applicable machine safety standards
• 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 Haves

• Familiarity with industrial automation and machine safety standards including IEC 61131, ANSI B11, NFPA 79, NFPA 70 (NEC), and RIA R15.06, including experience conducting or supporting formal risk assessments
• Experience with offline programming and virtual commissioning using industrial simulation tools such as Process Simulate, Visual Components, KUKA.Sim, Fanuc Roboguide, or similar
• Experience building, modifying, and troubleshooting electrical control panels, including hands-on electrical verification of machines and systems
• Experience with electrical design for industrial control systems using AutoCAD Electrical, EPLAN, or similar electrical CAD platforms
• Proficiency in a high-level programming language such as Python or C# for automation support applications, data processing, or controls integration
• Familiarity with mechatronics principles and mechanical systems — including the ability to interpret mechanical drawings and collaborate effectively with mechanical engineers on integrated automation equipment
• Experience with industrial machine vision systems, including application configuration or custom development using platforms such as Cognex or similar

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of new automated manufacturing systems from scratch — owning projects end-to-end from intake and proposal, through concepting, detailed design, installation, and commissioning, with high emphasis on design execution and commissioning rigor
• Design and develop PLC, HMI, and robot programs for custom automated manufacturing systems from scratch, including ladder logic, structured text, and function block programming, using platforms such as Siemens TIA Portal, KUKA, or equivalent
• Design industrial control system architectures including network topology, power distribution, I/O distribution, safety systems, and communication protocols for bespoke automation equipment
• Perform electrical design and modification of industrial control and safety systems using AutoCAD Electrical or equivalent, including panel layouts, wiring diagrams, and I/O schematics
• Develop offline simulations of automated processes, systems, and production lines to validate control logic, robot paths, cycle times, and system behavior prior to hardware availability — using tools such as Process Simulate, Visual Components, KUKA.Sim, Fanuc Roboguide, or similar
• Integrate auxiliary equipment, machines, and process tools — such as torque tools, machine vision systems, NDT equipment, welding systems, and metrology tools — into unified control systems
• Connect and integrate manufacturing equipment to existing SCADA and data collection infrastructure, ensuring proper data visibility and system interoperability
• Apply both industry and internal Factory Automation standards for hardware, software, and programming to ensure consistent, maintainable, and compliant system designs
• Engage internal customers and cross-functional stakeholders to define, document, and validate system requirements; communicate project status, technical decisions, and design intent clearly across engineering, operations, and management audiences
• Lead Design for Manufacturability and Design for Automated Manufacturing initiatives — collaborating with product design and manufacturing engineering teams to identify features that complicate automation and recommend modifications that improve manufacturability, reduce system complexity, and enable scalable production
• Collaborate with applications and mechanical engineers during conceptual and detailed design phases, providing controls architecture input and feedback
• Create and maintain controls documentation packages — including sequence of operations, I/O lists, network diagrams, and program documentation — and manage deliverables under configuration management practices to ensure revision control and traceability throughout the project lifecycle

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability, 401(k) with a company match of up to 5%, and an Education Support Program.
• Stock Options for all regular employees (working at least 20 hours/week)
• Paid Time Off: Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, and up to 14 company-paid holidays.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior