Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Symbotic develops AI-powered robotic and software platforms for warehouse automation and supply chain operations. The Principal Industrial Controls Engineer will serve as the technical authority for industrial controls and simulation platform architecture, strategy, lifecycle management, and standardization. The role also leads technical design, troubleshooting, mentoring, stakeholder alignment, and platform investments across products and deployments.
Responsibilities
- Define and own the architecture, technical strategy, and lifecycle roadmap for industrial controls and simulation platforms across Symbotic products and deployments
- Establish modular, reusable PLC platform capabilities, libraries, templates, interfaces, and configuration standards that accelerate delivery and improve consistency
- Drive simplification by reducing one-off solutions and platform variants, clarifying system boundaries, eliminating duplication, and leading practical migration plans
- Provide deep, hands-on technical leadership for Rockwell Automation PLCs, motion control, safety systems, OT networking, industrial protocols, and HMI/SCADA solutions
- Lead the simulation and virtual-commissioning strategy, including digital twins, software-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop testing, automated regression, and deterministic scenario coverage
- Manage platform health through versioning, compatibility, release governance, diagnostics, observability, cybersecurity, quality metrics, technical-debt reduction, and deprecation planning
- Architect and govern interfaces among PLC controls, electrical systems, robotics, embedded systems, simulation, and higher-level software
- Lead architecture and design reviews, document key decisions, and communicate risks and technical tradeoffs clearly to engineering and business stakeholders
- Prototype and de-risk new controls concepts, then guide their transition into supported, production-ready platform capabilities
- Lead troubleshooting and root-cause analysis for complex, cross-system, or high-impact issues and convert findings into systemic improvements
- Mentor engineers and raise technical capability across teams through coaching, standards, technical forums, and reusable guidance
- May directly manage one or two engineers, including regular 1:1s, goal setting, performance feedback, and career development, while remaining primarily accountable for technical leadership
- Influence portfolio priorities and partner with product, systems, software, electrical, test, deployment, and operations leaders to align platform investments with business needs
Skills
- Minimum of 12 years of related experience or equivalent work experience
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Automation Engineering, or a related field
- Expert-level knowledge of Rockwell Automation PLC platforms, motion control, safety PLC systems, OT networking, and industrial communication protocols
- Demonstrated experience defining controls architectures and reusable platform capabilities deployed across multiple products, programs, or sites
- Deep experience with simulation and virtual commissioning, including digital twins, software-in-the-loop or hardware-in-the-loop testing, automated regression, and scenario-based validation
- Strong knowledge of HMI/SCADA architecture and development
- Experience managing platform lifecycles, including roadmaps, release and compatibility strategies, configuration management, observability, cybersecurity, technical debt, and deprecation planning
- Strong software engineering practices applied to PLC development, including modular design, version control, code review, automated testing, CI/CD, diagnostics, and documentation
- Ability to simplify complex systems, make sound architectural tradeoffs, and lead across organizational boundaries without relying on direct authority
- Excellent communication, mentoring, and stakeholder-management skills
- Employees must have a valid driver's license and the ability to drive and/or fly to client locations and company HQ
- Experience with Inductive Automation Ignition
- Prior direct people-management experience
Benefits
- Medical insurance
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
- Disability benefits
- 401K
- PTO
- Business travel expenses are reimbursed based on the program guidelines
- Eligible employees may receive a corporate credit card based on role and travel requirements
Company Overview
Company H1B Sponsorship