Senior Industrial Automation & Controls Engineer

Senior Industrial Automation & Controls Engineer

Pueblo, CO

The Senior Industrial Automation & Controls Engineer will be located onsite in Pueblo, CO and reports to the Manufacturing Engineering Manager. This role is responsible for designing, deploying, and continuously improving automation and controls systems in support of solid rocket motor production and energetic materials manufacturing at Voyager Energetics — while serving as a technical anchor and mentor with a clear path to lead the automation and controls group.

• Design, program, commission, and maintain PLC-based control systems and robotic integration across multiple hardware platforms (preferred experience in Codesys based PLC platforms like Beckhoff, Beijer and Wago, and ABB, Yaskawa, and Fanuc robot platforms) to support production of solid rocket motors and energetic materials — including structured text code development, optimization, and troubleshooting.
• Lead the evaluation, selection, and deployment of automation solutions — including robotic work cells, machine vision systems, and machine learning‑driven process optimization — to improve safety, throughput, yield, and quality across solid rocket motor and energetic chemical production lines.
• Design electrical systems compliant with NEC and UL508A regulations, including systems for hazardous environments (C1D1/C2D1 classifications), and physically build high‑quality electrical cabinets and install field wiring to production standards.
• Design and implement plant networking architecture connecting sensors, valves, PLCs, and control room systems using analog (4‑20 mA) and Ethernet protocols, and implement robust data acquisition and remote access functionality.
• Design HMI/SCADA screens and systems with an emphasis on operator simplicity, readability, and providing feedback necessary for rapid troubleshooting; create and maintain schematics, documentation, and bills of materials for all electrical and control systems.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally with Manufacturing, Manufacturing Development, Safety, and Compliance teams to embed automation and controls best practices into all phases of the product lifecycle, spanning short‑term R&D projects and long‑term production programs.
• Implement and drive Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies within automated production environments, delivering measurable improvements in safety, quality, reliability, cost, and throughput.
• Mentor and guide junior engineers and technicians in controls programming, electrical design, troubleshooting, and automation best practices — with a clear growth path toward leading the automation and controls group.

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related engineering discipline with 7 years of experience in industrial automation and controls OR Master’s degree in a relevant field with 5 years of experience OR 11 years of hands‑on automation and controls experience in lieu of a degree.
• Extensive, platform‑agnostic proficiency in PLC programming, troubleshooting, and optimization across multiple vendor platforms.
• Proven experience designing and integrating robotic systems into manufacturing environments, including robotic work cells, end‑of‑arm tooling, safety systems, and motion control.
• Working knowledge of machine learning applications in manufacturing contexts, such as vision‑based inspection, predictive maintenance, or adaptive process control.
• Hands‑on experience physically building high‑quality electrical cabinets, running field wiring, and creating and maintaining electrical schematics, documentation, and bills of materials.
• Strong self‑starter with the ability to solve complex problems from first principles with minimal supervision, both independently and as a contributing team member in a fast‑paced startup environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to clearly convey technical concepts to cross‑functional stakeholders.
• Demonstrated commitment to safety culture and ability to operate within rigorous regulatory environments including OSHA, ITAR, and hazardous/energetic materials…