Heron Power · 1 day ago
Automation and Controls Engineering Manager
Scotts Valley, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
$170K/yr - $220K/yr
10+ years expHeron Power is building the future of scalable power electronics, aiming to enable high-volume manufacturing of advanced energy systems. The Automation & Controls Engineering Manager will lead the team responsible for factory automation, defining the strategy for automation and controls to ensure efficient and safe manufacturing processes.
EnergyIndustrialElectrical DistributionIndustrial Engineering
Hiring Manager
Olivia Ngan Le, PHR
Responsibilities
Hire, mentor, and lead a high-performing team of controls and automation engineers. Foster a culture of technical innovation, safety excellence, and continuous improvement
Define the company’s controls and automation roadmap. Select standard hardware platforms, software environments, communication protocols, and data systems to ensure scalability across future factories
Develop and maintain a code library and design standards to reduce deployment time and increase control systems reliability
Oversee the controls engineering deliverables for capital equipment deployment, managing project timelines, internal resources, and external vendors from conceptual design through FAT/SAT and factory ramp
Serve (with your team) as the primary controls point of contact for external machine builders and system integrators. Review and approve their electrical schematics and software architectures before fabrication and programming begins and lead debugging and commissioning activities through final production ramp
Own the functional safety strategy for the factory. Ensure all equipment meets applicable safety standards and lead internal and external machine safety design reviews
Collaborate with software teams to bridge the gap between OT and IT, ensuring seamless integration of machine data with MES, SCADA, and ERP systems. Oversee the selection and development of MES software for the factory
While this is a lead role, you will still 'get your hands dirty.' You will lead high-level troubleshooting efforts when critical issues arise and help code and commission complex systems when the team needs support
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, Controls Engineering, or a related field
10+ years of experience in industrial automation, with at least 3+ years in a technical leadership or management role
Proven experience architecting full factory solutions, not just programming individual cells
Expert-level mastery of machine programming (structured text, ladder logic, FBD) and motion control, and MES / HMI integration
Deep proficiency across multiple PLC platforms (Rockwell / Siemens / Beckhoff / Ignition
Experience leading design reviews and validating electrical schematics (NFPA 79 / UL 508A)
Strong background in robotics integration, machine vision, and other inspection systems
Experience bridging industrial control systems with high-level plant software / MES
Demonstrated ability to manage external vendors, integrators, and panel shops
Excellent mentorship skills and a demonstrated ability to elevate the technical level of those around you
Preferred
Experience in power electronics, electric vehicle, battery storage, or similar manufacturing sectors
Have built a new controls department from the ground up or significantly expanded an existing controls team
Expertise validating designs using Digital Twin or emulation software prior to hardware build (virtual commissioning)
Proficiency in EPLAN or AutoCAD Electrical for vendor design reviews
Benefits
Competitive compensation (salary and equity)
Benefits
Company
Heron Power
Heron Power is an energy technology startup that focuses on developing power electronics for the modern electrical grid.
51-200 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Heron Power has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (6)
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageTotal Funding
$38MKey Investors
Capricorn Investment Group
2025-05-29Series A· $38M
Leadership Team
C
Chris Tilton
Director of Mechanical Engineering
Recent News
2025-10-13
2025-10-11
Company data provided by crunchbase