Senior Software-Defined Control Systems Engineer

Desert Control is seeking a Senior Software-Defined Control Systems Engineer to develop, integrate, commission, and maintain its industrial control systems. The role owns the end-to-end control-system function, spanning industrial automation, software development, electrical engineering, system integration, and operational support.

Responsibilities:

• Develop, maintain, and troubleshoot industrial control applications using IEC 61131-3 Structured Text
• Work with Siemens SIMATIC AX and software-defined control architectures
• Design and implement control sequences, state machines, operating modes, interlocks, and fault handling
• Develop and tune advanced control algorithms, including PI/PID regulation, signal processing, filtering, and process optimization
• Integrate deterministic control applications with distributed I/O, industrial drives, instrumentation, and communication services
• Develop, integrate, and test safety-related control functions, including emergency-stop interfaces, equipment interlocks, and fault responses, in accordance with applicable safety requirements
• Maintain and improve control software throughout the equipment lifecycle
• Support control-platform upgrades, runtime migrations, and development of new functionality
• Develop, maintain, and troubleshoot software applications using Python
• Build, configure, deploy, and maintain Docker-based applications on Linux industrial computing platforms
• Configure and manage applications using Siemens Industrial Edge and associated remote application management infrastructure
• Set up and maintain Linux-based development environments
• Use Git for source control, software versioning, and collaborative development
• Work with application configurations, including YAML-based configuration files
• Troubleshoot distributed applications, container runtimes, application dependencies, and communication between software services
• Support application deployment, software updates, release management, and system recovery
• Configure and troubleshoot industrial communication systems, including PROFINET, Modbus TCP/RTU, OPC UA, MQTT, and DDS
• Integrate industrial communication services with deterministic control applications and supporting software
• Configure and troubleshoot industrial Ethernet networks, including IP addressing, switches, routing, and network connectivity
• Diagnose communication failures across hardware, networking, protocol, and application layers
• Integrate distributed I/O, industrial devices, and third-party equipment
• Develop and review electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and industrial control-system designs
• Specify and evaluate industrial automation hardware, including controllers, distributed I/O, sensors, instrumentation, and electrical components
• Select, size, configure, and integrate motors and variable-frequency drives
• Work with industrial power distribution, three-phase electrical systems, including 480 VAC equipment, and low-voltage control circuits
• Configure and troubleshoot industrial drives, motor control systems, instrumentation, and electrical control equipment
• Integrate pressure, flow, level, weighing, and other industrial instrumentation
• Perform hardware testing, I/O verification, instrumentation validation, and electrical troubleshooting
• Apply appropriate electrical safety procedures during testing and commissioning
• Prepare bills of materials and coordinate with suppliers, contractors, and panel builders
• Develop, configure, and maintain web-based industrial operator interfaces
• Apply practical HTML and CSS knowledge to user-interface development and troubleshooting
• Integrate operator interfaces with control applications, industrial data sources, and software services
• Work with real-time and historical industrial data, including time-series databases such as InfluxDB
• Develop supporting software for diagnostics, operational data processing, and production reporting
• Integrate the control system with APIs and cloud services, and work with cloud and software engineers to define interface requirements and validate integrations
• Troubleshoot data collection, application communication, and reporting functionality
• Take responsibility for integrating control software, containerized applications, electrical equipment, and instrumentation into complete operational systems
• Develop a thorough understanding of the production process, including pumps, fluid handling, mixing, and material dosing
• Perform internal system testing, functional validation, and hardware/software integration testing
• Commission industrial equipment and control systems in manufacturing and field environments
• Validate equipment sequences, operating modes, instrumentation, industrial networks, and control-system functionality
• Tune control algorithms and optimize equipment performance under actual operating conditions
• Independently troubleshoot complex problems involving software, control logic, electrical hardware, networking, and physical processes
• Provide remote technical support for deployed equipment
• Investigate operational failures, identify root causes, and implement corrective actions
• Coordinate with mechanical, electrical, and other engineering personnel as required
• Own the complete industrial control system, with primary responsibility for its development, integration, maintenance, and operational support
• Take responsibility for the complete electrical system, including power distribution, VFDs, wiring, schematics, panel building, installation, and modifications
• Lead architecture decisions and the continued development of the control platform
• Plan, estimate, and prioritize control-system engineering work
• Maintain technical documentation, application configurations, and source control

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Robotics, Industrial Automation, Control Engineering, Mechatronics, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a closely related discipline. Equivalent relevant technical education and substantial practical experience may be considered
• Senior-level engineering experience involving industrial automation, software development, and integration of physical industrial equipment
• Demonstrated ability to independently develop, commission, troubleshoot, and maintain complex industrial control systems
• Practical experience spanning both industrial automation and software engineering
• Experience developing or integrating software-defined industrial control systems, including deterministic control applications and Linux-based industrial edge platforms
• Strong IEC 61131-3 Structured Text programming skills
• Experience developing industrial machine and process control applications
• PI/PID control, equipment sequencing, state machines, and interlocks
• Integration of industrial drives, distributed I/O, and instrumentation
• Hands-on industrial equipment testing and commissioning
• Proficiency in Python development
• Practical Linux development, configuration, and troubleshooting
• Docker containerization, image building, configuration, and deployment
• Proficiency with Git version control
• Experience integrating and troubleshooting distributed software applications
• Practical experience integrating with REST APIs and collaborating with cloud or software engineers
• Basic HTML and CSS for web-based industrial interfaces
• Practical experience with industrial Ethernet and network troubleshooting
• Experience with PROFINET or comparable industrial communication systems
• Working knowledge of industrial communication protocols and interfaces, including technologies such as Modbus, OPC UA, MQTT, and DDS
• Ability to read, interpret, develop, and review industrial electrical schematics
• Knowledge of three-phase electrical systems, motor control, VFDs, and industrial instrumentation
• Experience selecting, configuring, and integrating automation hardware
• Practical electrical and industrial control-system troubleshooting
• Ability to develop, integrate, and test safety-related control functions, including emergency-stop interfaces, equipment interlocks, and fault responses, in accordance with applicable safety requirements
• Ability to independently diagnose and resolve multidisciplinary problems across software, control logic, electrical hardware, networking, and physical processes
• Siemens SIMATIC AX and Siemens Industrial Edge, including Industrial Edge Management
• Siemens PROFINET and distributed I/O systems
• Industrial applications using OPC UA, MQTT, DDS, or Modbus
• Robotics, mechatronics, or advanced industrial process control
• Industrial time-series databases, particularly InfluxDB
• Process equipment involving pumps, fluid handling, mixing, and material dosing
• Node-RED and web-based industrial HMI frameworks
• SQL databases and production data processing
• Industrial edge-to-cloud connectivity
• Electrical CAD software such as EPLAN or AutoCAD Electrical
• Familiarity with applicable U.S. industrial electrical standards, including NEC, NFPA 79, NFPA 70E, and UL 508A