Senior Controls Engineer

Forge Nano•Thornton, CO

7d•Onsite

About The Position

Forge Nano is seeking an experienced Senior Controls Engineer to join our Engineering Design and Manufacturing Team. Reporting to the Director of Engineering, this role will provide technical leadership for automation systems, controls architecture, software standards, and safety systems supporting semiconductor ALD production equipment. The Senior Controls Engineer will lead the development and implementation of automation solutions across multiple product lines, drive controls software and architecture standards, and mentor junior engineers. This position requires extensive experience in industrial automation, PLC programming, equipment commissioning, and cross-functional collaboration to deliver reliable, scalable, and safe manufacturing equipment. The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise with strong leadership skills and the ability to drive innovative, scalable, and reliable automation solutions that support Forge Nano's continued growth and manufacturing excellence.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Automation Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
Minimum of 7 years of experience in controls programming, industrial automation, equipment automation, or related engineering roles.
Advanced experience with Beckhoff TwinCAT Structured Text programming.
Demonstrated expertise designing and architecting controls systems across multiple equipment platforms or product lines.
Experience leading HAZOP-based safety controls design and implementation.
Strong technical writing, communication, leadership, and mentoring skills.
Proven ability to collaborate effectively across cross-functional engineering and operations teams.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Ignition, Allen-Bradley Studio 5000, Python, OPC-UA, SQL databases, and historian systems.
Experience supporting semiconductor manufacturing equipment or advanced process automation systems.
Knowledge of software version control systems, validation protocols, and automated testing practices.
Familiarity with SEMI S2, SEMI E-95, ISA-101, ISA-88, and related automation standards.
Previous experience providing technical leadership or supervising engineering teams.

Responsibilities

Lead the design, development, debugging, testing, and release of PLC logic using IEC 61131-3 approved programming languages, primarily Beckhoff TwinCAT Structured Text.
Define controls architecture, software standards, reusable code modules, and automation frameworks across semiconductor ALD production equipment platforms.
Develop and implement scalable automation solutions that support product reliability, maintainability, and future expansion.
Drive software architecture decisions and establish best practices for controls programming and system integration.
Lead design reviews for control narratives, safety interlocks, alarm management strategies, HMIs, database interfaces, and equipment automation schemes.
Develop and oversee HAZOP-driven safety controls logic and risk mitigation strategies.
Ensure control systems comply with applicable industry standards, including SEMI S2, SEMI E-95, ISA-101, ISA-88, and IEC 61131-3.
Partner with electrical, mechanical, process, service, and R&D teams to deliver robust and safe equipment automation solutions.
Provide technical leadership across multiple automation projects and product lines.
Mentor and develop Controls Engineers I-III through technical coaching, design reviews, and problem-solving support.
Guide engineering teams through complex automation challenges, commissioning activities, and software feature development.
Promote engineering excellence through documentation standards, software quality processes, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Lead equipment commissioning, start-up, troubleshooting, validation, and field support activities for critical automated systems.
Support customer installations and resolve complex controls-related issues in manufacturing and field environments.
Drive best practices for version control, software validation, release management, testing, and lifecycle documentation.
Collaborate with service and manufacturing teams to improve system performance, reliability, and maintainability.