Senior Automation Controls Engineer

Blue Origin•Hutto, TX

About The Position

Blue Origin’s Factory Automation team, part of the Advanced Manufacturing organization within Operations, designs, builds, and deploys custom equipment and systems that support scalable, repeatable production across its manufacturing business units. The Senior Automation Controls Engineer will apply hands-on expertise in industrial controls design and automation systems integration, taking technical ownership of projects from concept through production ramp-up. The role spans R&D, design, build, installation, and commissioning, and involves coordination across stakeholders and disciplines. The engineer will define control system architectures and technical standards, deliver and commission practical automation solutions, and work with product design teams to address requirements that may complicate scalable automated manufacturing. The position includes developing automated manufacturing equipment concepts with applications engineers; designing control architectures; creating offline simulations and preparing programs before hardware is available; and transitioning to online debugging and commissioning of PLC, HMI, robot, and related industrial controls programs. The engineer will integrate auxiliary equipment and support system build, installation, testing, commissioning, and start-up. The role also produces controls documentation such as sequences of operation, I/O lists, network diagrams, and program documentation. The position is part of Blue Origin Operations, which supports manufacturing and supply chain across Blue Origin facilities. Applicants must meet the stated U.S. citizenship, permanent residency, refugee, or asylum status requirement. The advertised base pay range for Colorado applicants is $181,626.00–$254,275.35; other site ranges may differ.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or higher in Electrical, Mechanical, Mechatronics, Controls, or a related engineering field.
Minimum 6 years of hands-on experience developing and integrating industrial controls and automation systems from scratch.
PLC and HMI programming as core competencies.
Experience designing control system architectures, including network topology, I/O distribution, safety systems, and multi-platform communication protocols.
Broad exposure to industrial automation platforms, such as robots, material handling systems (gantries, AGVs, conveyors), CNC machine integration, NDT, assembly, testing, and process tools such as torque, welding, or grinding equipment.
Demonstrated ability to interpret and review 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 Haves

Familiarity with industrial automation and machine safety standards, including IEC 61131, ANSI B11, NFPA 79, RIA R15.06, and functional safety standards IEC 62061 / ISO 13849; experience conducting or supporting formal risk assessments.
Experience with industrial automation simulation software for offline programming, virtual commissioning, and full production line simulation, such as Plant Simulate, Process Simulate, Visual Components, KUKA.Sim, RobotStudio, or similar.
Experience with industrial machine vision systems, including custom application development using platforms such as Cognex, covering out-of-the-box configuration, novel programming, and ML-based inspection and guidance solutions.
Experience building, modifying, and troubleshooting electrical control panels.
Experience with electrical design for industrial control systems using AutoCAD Electrical, EPLAN, or similar electrical CAD platforms.
Demonstrated history of delivering custom automated manufacturing systems from concept through production ramp-up.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with applications engineers to develop conceptual automated manufacturing equipment and provide controls architecture input and feedback from concept through detailed design.
Design control system architectures, including network topology, I/O distribution, safety systems, and communication protocols.
Lead industrial controls and electrical design for bespoke automation systems.
Develop offline simulations of automated systems, from discrete work cells to fully automated product lines, to validate control logic, robot paths, cycle times, and system behavior from concept through final design; perform pre-programming and virtual commissioning before hardware availability.
Transition offline development into online debugging and commissioning of PLC, HMI, robot, and similar industrial controls programs from scratch.
Integrate auxiliary equipment, machines, and tools into unified control systems.
Work with panel fabricators and field installation teams, providing technical support during system integration and commissioning.
Lead factory and site acceptance testing.
Lead the build, installation, commissioning, and start-up of automated manufacturing systems.
Create and deliver controls documentation packages, including sequences of operation, I/O lists, network diagrams, and program documentation.
Coordinate across stakeholders and disciplines, take technical ownership of projects from concept through production ramp-up, and address product design requirements that complicate scalable automation.

Benefits

Medical insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Basic and supplemental life insurance
Paid parental leave
Short- and long-term disability
401(k) with company match of up to 5%
Education Support Program
Stock options for regular employees working at least 20 hours per week
Up to four weeks of paid time off per year based on weekly scheduled hours
Up to 14 company-paid holidays
Depending on role type and job level, employees may be eligible for benefits and bonuses based on individual contributions and company results.