Automation engineer serp_jobs.h1.location_city

Automation & Control Engineer (Robotics / Industrial)

About the role

We're building robust, production-grade robotic cells. You'll own controls, networking, and low-level integration end-to-end : from cabinet design and PLC motion to real-time comms with robots, scanners, and back-end services.

What you'll do

Design, implement, and commission control systems for robotic / automation cells (spec → panel → code → FAT / SAT).

Integrate robots, PLCs, drives, sensors, safety devices, vision, and SCADA / MES.

Build reliable comms : EtherNet / IP , OPC UA , Modbus / TCP , EtherCAT , TCP / UDP sockets , REST / gRPC, MQTT.

Write controller and glue code in Python and / or C++ (Linux), and PLC logic (TwinCAT / Structured Text or TIA / Studio 5000).

Tune servos, configure motion axes, and bring up VFDs / servo drives.

Own networking : L2 / L3, VLANs, routing, NAT, DHCP, DNS, firewalls, VPN; diagnose with Wireshark.

Implement industrial safety : E-stops, interlocks, safety relays / PLCs; document per ISO standards.

Stand up observability : logging, metrics, dashboards, alarms; basic OT cybersecurity hygiene.

Produce clean schematics, IO lists, cable schedules, and test procedures; keep everything in Git.

Field commissioning : travel to customer sites for installation, debugging, and handover.

Must-have skills

Controls & PLCs : TwinCAT 3 / Beckhoff (ST / TF), or Rockwell (Studio 5000 / Logix), or Siemens (TIA / Step 7).

Networking & protocols : solid with EtherNet / IP , OPC UA , Modbus / TCP , raw sockets , TLS, certificates.

Programming : strong Python and / or C++ on Linux ; can build / consume APIs (REST / gRPC), parse binary / JSON.

Robotics & motion : kinematics basics, coordinate frames, homing, limits, trajectories; servo / VFD setup.

Electrical : read / create schematics (EPLAN / AutoCAD Electrical), select components, size power, land wiring, and panel build.

Source control & release : Git , CI basics, issue tracking, code reviews.

Documentation & H&S : risk assessments, test plans, change logs; hands-on safety practice.

Nice-to-haves

Robots : KUKA (RSI / EKI), Fanuc (KAREL), ABB (RAPID), UR (URScript / RTDE).

Fieldbus : EtherCAT config (EK1xxx I / O), PROFINET.

Vision & metrology : Keyence / LMI line scanners, OpenCV, calibration, triggering / encoders.

ROS 2 (Humble+) : lifecycle nodes, messages / services, Cyclone DDS, bridging to OPC UA.

DevOps : Docker / Compose, systemd services, on-prem deployment, backups.

Safety standards : ISO 10218, ISO 13849-1 / -2 (PL calcs), IEC 61508 basics.

Data & dashboards : InfluxDB / Timescale, Grafana, alerting.

Outcomes you'll own (first 90 days)

One cell from cold start to production : panel powered, IO verified, safety validated, network segmented, comms online.

PLC / motion + Python / C++ glue that runs unattended for a week with metrics and logs.

Handover pack : schematics, IO map, IP plan, passwords / keys escrowed, and rollback plan tested.

Tools you'll likely touch

TwinCAT 3, TIA / Studio 5000, Wireshark, Beckhoff EK / EL I / O, KUKA RSI / EKI, OPC UA stacks (open62541 / FreeOpcUa), Python (asyncio, pydantic, uvloop), CMake, Docker, GitHub Actions, Grafana / InfluxDB.

Minimum experience

3–8+ years shipping industrial automation or robotics systems.

Has commissioned real hardware (not just sims) and can talk through a gnarly on-site debug they solved.

Location & travel

On-site for builds / commissioning; periodic travel to vendor / customer sites.