--- title: 'Automation Controls Engineer at Hadrian Automation' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/automation-controls-engineer-hadrian-automation-los-angeles-12f3eydekpc5' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-10-13' --- # Automation Controls Engineer at Hadrian Automation - **Company:** [Hadrian Automation](https://feeny.ai/companies/hadrian-automation) - **Location:** Los Angeles, CA - **Compensation:** $130k–$220k - **Employment:** full-time - **Work type:** onsite - **Posted:** 2026-05-01 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-13 - **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/hadrian-automation/f0db9906-ef15-45ad-9636-e2c20726f41a/application **Skills:** PLC Programming, Siemens, Beckhoff, Robotics, ABB, Fanuc, Kuka, EtherCAT, PROFINET, OPC UA, Sensor Integration, Electrical Panel Design, Root Cause Analysis, Schematic Reading, C#, Python, Machine Vision, Cognex, Keyence, Zivid > The Automation Controls Engineer leads the end-to-end design and implementation of controls architecture for robotic, CNC, and tooling cells. Responsibilities include writing PLC code, commissioning systems, designing electrical panels and networks, and mentoring engineering teams to meet aggressive manufacturing ti... ## Job description Hadrian - Manufacturing the Future Hadrian is building autonomous factories to reindustrialize America. By combining AI, advanced software, robotics, and full-stack manufacturing, we help aerospace and defense companies build rockets, satellites, aircraft, ships, and other mission-critical systems up to 10x faster and at significantly lower cost. Following our $1.37B Series D at a $7.87B valuation, Hadrian is rapidly expanding our manufacturing footprint, launching new capabilities across welding, casting, forging, electronics, additive manufacturing, and more, while scaling our Factory-as-a-Service platform to transform how critical products are built. Backed by leading investors including JPMorgan Chase, Valor Equity Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund, 137 Ventures, Lux Capital, T. Rowe Price, and Morgan Stanley, we’re building the future of American manufacturing—and looking for exceptional people to help make it happen. If you’re ready to take on the most challenging and rewarding work of your career while helping create American manufacturing jobs for generations to come, you’re exactly who we’re looking for. ## The Role Factory automation is key to Hadrian’s operations. Our team owns the responsibility of designing and delivering elegant equipment solutions that bridge the gap between our core manufacturing processes and the rest of factory operations. We're looking for someone who thrives at the intersection of mechanical systems, real-time control, and software architecture. You'll own the design and optimization of control systems that power our factory automation platform—working alongside mechanical engineers, software architects, and manufacturing teams to ship robust, scalable solutions. You won't just write PLC code. You'll architect the entire control strategy for equipment that moves parts between processes, orchestrates multi-step manufacturing workflows, validates product quality, and feeds data back to our operations teams. Your designs will span motion control, pneumatics, multi-axis robotics, integrated safety systems, industrial networking, and modern software architectures. You'll make tradeoffs between performance and reliability, simplicity and capability, local control and centralized coordination. And you'll do it in a fast-paced environment where requirements evolve just as fast as we do. ## What You'll Do - Design and implement modular, scalable PLC software architectures across multiple manufacturing use cases - Oversee equipment deployment from design through commissioning in production environments - Develop reusable control libraries and frameworks to standardize equipment design across the organization - Architect multi-axis motion control solutions involving coordinated servo motors, robots, conveyance, and pneumatic actuators - Design robust industrial networking architectures for real-time control and process monitoring - Integrate equipment with high-level systems (SCADA, MES, ERP) to enable data visibility and traceability - Troubleshoot and optimize electrical systems, motor circuits, and power delivery in operational equipment ## What We're Looking For - Bachelor's degree in a STEM field (electro-mechanical preferred) or equivalent experience - 5-10+ years designing and deploying automated industrial equipment - Proficiency programming on different industrial control platforms (Beckhoff TwinCAT and/or Siemens S7 preferred) - Direct exposure to industrial communication protocols (EtherCAT, PROFINET, OPC-UA, ADS, etc.) - Working knowledge of automated equipment safety systems and protocols (TwinSAFE, SIMATIC Safety, FSoE, PROFIsafe, etc.) - Hands-on experience with industrial robot programming and control (Fanuc, ABB, or KUKA) - Demonstrated ability in industrial motion control (servo tuning, VFD configuration, axis coordination) - Ability to design and troubleshoot electrical systems for equipment (24VDC through 480VAC) - Strong collaborative skills working effectively with mechanical, software, manufacturing engineers, and build technicians What Will Set You Apart - A forward-looking, object oriented approach to industrial software development - Modern software revision control & CI/CD practices (Git, Copia, Jenkins, etc.) - Experience with relational and time-series databases (Postgres, MySQL, etc.) - Ability to program in a variety of modern software languages (Python, JS, Rust, C#, etc.) - Exposure to machine vision systems for robotic guidance, metrology, or quality inspection - Deep understanding of various core manufacturing technologies (pneumatics, hydraulics, welding, machining, assembly, etc.) - A taste for fast-paced environments, aggressive goals, and bringing fresh ideas to attack unique manufacturing challenges ## Compensation For this role, the target salary range is $154,000-$266,000 (actual range may vary based on experience). This is the lowest to highest salary we reasonably and in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range, and the range may be modified in the future. An employee's pay position within the salary range will be based on several factors, including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, performance, and business or organizational needs. ## Benefits for Full-time Employees - Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans for employees 401k - Relocation support may be provided for certain situations, based on business need. - Flexible vacation policy - Equity ITAR Requirements To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen or national, lawful permanent resident, protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here. Use of AI in hiring Hadrian uses AI-assisted tools in our recruiting and hiring processes to help our team work more efficiently. This may include tools that help organize and analyze recruiting data, as well as an AI-powered notetaker that can record and transcribe interviews and help coordinate feedback. These tools support our team and are not used to make hiring decisions. All candidate evaluations and hiring decisions are performed by humans. If an interview will be recorded, you will be notified in advance and may opt out at any time with no impact on your candidacy. Candidate data processed through these tools is subject to the same protections described in our [Privacy Policy](https://www.hadrian.co/privacy-policy). Consideration of Criminal History Hadrian will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of all applicable laws. We do not ask about criminal history on our application, and we do not consider criminal history before making a conditional offer of employment. Hadrian Is An Equal Opportunity Employer Hadrian does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, marital status, mental status, physical disability or any other legally protected status. When necessary, the Company also makes reasonable accommodations for disabled candidates and employees, including for candidates or employees who are disabled by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. ## About Hadrian Automation ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Hadrian builds AI-powered autonomous factories to manufacture precision components for the aerospace and defense industries, aiming to reindustrialize American manufacturing. - **Entity Type**: Private (Series C) - **Headquarters**: Los Angeles, California, USA - **Founded**: 2021 - **Founders**: Chris Power ## Core Business - **Primary Industry**: Defense and Space Manufacturing, Advanced Manufacturing - **Target Customers**: B2B; startups, Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers, and major defense contractors across space, shipbuilding, and aviation. - **Mission/Purpose**: To rebuild America’s industrial base with highly automated factories that combine process engineering, AI, and robotics, helping space and defense manufacturers produce at scale in the U.S. and giving American workers the tools to compete globally. ## Products & Services - **Precision Components Manufacturing**: Produces precision parts for aerospace and defense customers, from prototype to production. - **Opus (Factory Autonomy Platform)**: A full-stack, AI-powered platform that interprets legacy designs and automates manufacturing and inspection processes, enabling world-class speed, quality, and utilization. - **Factories-as-a-Service**: Dedicated manufacturing or inspection cells deployed in Hadrian facilities or customer sites, as well as entire product, assembly, and component factories designed and operated by Hadrian. - **Atlas Supply Chain Platform**: A "Supply Chain as a Service" offering that gives customers a single, scalable path from early development through full-rate production, managing end-to-end procurement across a vetted network of suppliers. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed. - **Key Metric**: Total Funding of **$363.95M** across 8 rounds. - **Revenue**: Annual revenue estimated at **$3.0M** (per LinkedIn). - **Notable Investors**: Lux Capital, Founders Fund, Andreessen Horowitz, T. Rowe Price (led Series C). - **Growth Signals**: - Headcount of **325 employees** (as of recent data), with **+112.9% YoY growth**. - **156 active job postings** (as of mid-2026), with job postings up **+457.1% YoY**. - Opened a new 270,000 sq ft factory in Mesa, AZ (Factory 3), creating 350 new jobs. - Unveiled **Factory Four**, a 2.2 million sq ft facility in Huntsville, AL. - Launched **Hadrian Maritime** to serve naval production. - Acquired **Datum Source** (2024) to strengthen supply chain capabilities. - Added veteran security and defense leaders (Caleb Sima as CSO, Wallis Laughrey as VP of Munitions) in June 2026. ## Competitive Advantages - **Full-Stack Automation**: Their AI-powered "Opus" platform automates the entire manufacturing and inspection process, reducing reliance on skilled labor and increasing speed. - **Speed & Cost**: Claims to deliver parts up to 10x faster and 2x cheaper than the legacy defense industrial base. - **New American Workforce**: Their system trains factory technicians in 30 days or less, solving the skilled labor shortage. - **Flexible Capacity**: Offers a "Factory-as-a-Service" model, providing dedicated facilities or production lines integrated into customer sites, reducing overhead for clients. - **Deep Defense & Space Focus**: A clear, singular focus on the most demanding and high-stakes manufacturing challenges in the U.S., creating a strong moat. ## Strategic Focus - **Scaling Production Capacity**: Rapidly expanding factory footprint (Torrance, Mesa, Huntsville) to meet surging demand from defense and space programs. - **Broadening Capabilities**: Expanding into new domains like naval production (Hadrian Maritime) and munitions. - **Deepening the Tech Stack**: Continuing to invest in Opus and the Atlas platform to drive further automation and efficiency. - **National Security Mission**: Positioning itself as a critical partner in reindustrializing the U.S. defense industrial base. ## Why Work Here - **Mission-Driven**: A clear and compelling mission to rebuild America’s industrial base and enable a free, abundant, spacefaring future. - **High-Growth Environment**: Explosive growth (headcount up 113% YoY) with hundreds of open roles across engineering, manufacturing, and business functions. - **Impactful Work**: Directly contribute to building the factories and software that produce critical components for rockets, satellites, jets, and ships. - **Culture of Solving Hard Problems**: The company explicitly seeks people who "solve hard problems" across software, hardware, and operations. - **Locations**: Major hubs in **Los Angeles, CA**; **Mesa, AZ**; and **Washington D.C.**, with a new massive facility in **Huntsville, AL**. - **Diverse Roles**: Actively hiring for Software Engineers, Manufacturing Engineers, Robotics Engineers, Technicians, and business talent. - **Backing**: Strong financial backing from top-tier VC firms (a16z, Founders Fund, Lux Capital), providing stability and resources. ## Sources 1. [hadrian.co](https://www.hadrian.co/) 2. [hadrian.co/about](https://www.hadrian.co/about) 3. [hadrian.co/careers](https://www.hadrian.co/careers) 4. [linkedin.com/company/hadrianautomation](https://www.linkedin.com/company/hadrianautomation) 5. [cbinsights.com](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/hadrian-1) ## Other roles at Hadrian Automation - [Polymer Manufacturing Engineer, Additive](https://feeny.ai/job/polymer-manufacturing-engineer-additive-hadrian-automation-texarkana-7dybmsdq60rn) — Texarkana, TX - [Architectural Engineer, Structural Systems](https://feeny.ai/job/architectural-engineer-structural-systems-hadrian-automation-los-angeles-xa54y01v12kh) — Los Angeles, CA - [Senior Product Designer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-product-designer-hadrian-automation-los-angeles-ypm1dx82c7cq) — Los Angeles, CA - [Director, Forward Deployed Engineering](https://feeny.ai/job/director-forward-deployed-engineering-hadrian-automation-los-angeles-fyeramx6w0h2) — Los Angeles, CA - [Sr. Director, Forward Deployed Engineering](https://feeny.ai/job/sr-director-forward-deployed-engineering-hadrian-automation-los-angeles-wjdq8150yazf) — Los Angeles, CA - [Instructional Designer](https://feeny.ai/job/instructional-designer-hadrian-automation-los-angeles-hjszxdeapx4w) — Los Angeles, CA - [Machine Learning Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/machine-learning-engineer-hadrian-automation-los-angeles-4kqdb23zdch2) — Los Angeles, CA - [Senior Manager, Quality](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-manager-quality-hadrian-automation-los-angeles-wn4yn1twmjtj) — Los Angeles, CA - [Manufacturing Engineer, Tube & Pipe](https://feeny.ai/job/manufacturing-engineer-tube-pipe-hadrian-automation-los-angeles-jxxw13bpx33e) — Los Angeles, CA - [Capex Supply Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/capex-supply-manager-hadrian-automation-los-angeles-vcc7gdge15rn) — Los Angeles, CA