Automation Engineer

Azora•Phoenix, AZ

98d•$130,000 - $200,000•Onsite

About The Position

Build the automation backbone that enables Azora's optical ground stations to operate independently: autonomous pass scheduling, calibration routines, health monitoring, and fault recovery. As a lead, you will define the automation architecture across a growing global network of ground sites.

Requirements

BS/MS in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical/Mechatronics Engineering, or related field.
5+ years building automation or control software for physical systems (robotics, observatories, test automation, industrial control, or similar).
Strong programming skills in Python and at least one systems language (C++, Rust, or Go).
Experience with hardware interfaces and protocols: serial, Ethernet/IP, Modbus, CAN, or similar.
Demonstrated experience taking automation systems from prototype to reliable 24/7 operation.

Nice To Haves

Experience automating telescopes, observatories, or optical ground stations (e.g., INDI/ASCOM ecosystems, custom mount control).
Familiarity with orbital mechanics and satellite pass prediction (e.g., SGP4, Skyfield).
Experience with distributed systems, message buses (MQTT, ZeroMQ, gRPC), and time synchronization (NTP/PTP).
Prior technical leadership or team lead experience in a startup environment.

Responsibilities

Architect and implement end-to-end automation for ground station operations: target acquisition, pass execution, weather-driven decision-making, and safe-state recovery.
Develop hardware control software for telescopes, gimbals, weather sensors, and optical bench instrumentation (motion controllers, cameras, power systems).
Build automated calibration, self-test, and built-in-test (BIT) routines that keep stations operational without on-site staff.
Design monitoring, alerting, and remote diagnostics infrastructure across multiple geographically distributed sites.
Define interfaces between site-level automation and the network-level scheduler/orchestration layer.
Establish software engineering practices for the automation stack: CI/CD, hardware-in-the-loop testing, simulation environments, and release management.
Build, lead and mentor a small team of automation and controls engineers as the ground network scales.