Director, Automation & Controls Engineering

About Divergent Divergent is building the new industrial age. With its manufacturing platform, DAPS™, the company designs, builds, and assembles structures and solutions across critical industries. Established in 2014, with multiple, adaptive factories, its work enables products across leading aerospace, defense, and industrial programs.

Divergent

Building the new industrial age.

Industrial AutomationSoftwareAdditive ManufacturingAerospace & DefenseAutomotiveand Manufacturing

D

divergent.us

201-500 employees

Manufacturing

Torrance, California

2014

Privately Held

52k LinkedIn followers

Raised $1.1B

• As Director, Automation & Controls Engineering, you will lead the team building
• the automation backbone of Divergent’s next generation of machines and
• factories. You will define and deliver the controls, robotics, electrical,
• safety, and factory automation systems that turn complex manufacturing
• technology into reliable, scalable, and increasingly autonomous production.
• This role owns both the technical direction and organizational capability
• required to push industrial automation forward—from first-of-kind machine
• development through fleet deployment and factory scale. You will build the
• architectures, standards, teams, and engineering systems that enable Divergent
• to move faster, automate more, reduce operator dependency, and create
• manufacturing systems capable of scaling far beyond traditional factories.
• Lead delivery of electrical, PLC, HMI, SCADA, motion control, robotics, and
• machine-safety systems from requirements through validated production
• release.
• Lead engineering execution to deliver systems on schedule and to technical,
• quality, and production-readiness requirements.
• Ensure systems meet reliability, maintainability, functional safety, and
• regulatory compliance requirements through rigorous engineering and
• validation practices.
• Set technical direction for controls architecture, technology platforms,
• engineering standards, and integration across Divergent machines and
• factories.
• Build scalable capabilities through modular architectures, reusable
• libraries, standardization, and disciplined configuration management.
• Establish technical governance and engineering rigor to improve consistency,
• reliability, maintainability, and development efficiency.
• Drive systemic reliability improvements by incorporating operational
• failures, corrective actions, and production learnings into future designs.
• Define and execute the technology roadmap for industrial robotics, autonomous
• machine operation, and advanced factory automation.
• Drive initiatives that reduce manual labor, operator dependency,
• manufacturing complexity, and cost while improving productivity.
• Develop the technical capabilities, partnerships, and scalable automation
• platforms required for increasingly autonomous machines and factories.
• Build and develop a high-performing engineering organization through hiring,
• coaching, delegation, performance management, and development of technical
• leaders.
• Establish an effective operating rhythm with clear ownership, priorities,
• accountability, resource management, and measurable outcomes.
• Translate business objectives into engineering strategy, roadmaps, and
• investment priorities, balancing production support, reliability, technical
• debt, and future development.
• Lead cross-functional alignment and execution across Machine Development,
• R&D, Supply Chain, Production, Service, and other operational teams.

Required

• Ability to lawfully access information and technology that is subject to US
• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering,
• Mechatronics, Robotics, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in industrial automation, controls, robotics, or
• complex automated equipment development.
• Proven experience leading engineering organizations and delivering complex,
• cross-functional machine or factory automation programs.
• Strong technical foundation in PLCs, electrical systems, industrial
• networking, motion control, robotics, and machine safety.

Preferred

• Experience developing complex capital equipment, advanced manufacturing,
• semiconductor, additive manufacturing, or robotics systems.
• Expertise in Beckhoff TwinCAT, IEC 61131-3 Structured Text, industrial
• networking, and motion control.
• Experience with industrial robotics, simulation, offline programming, and
• virtual commissioning.
• Knowledge of NEC, NFPA 79, UL 508A, functional safety, and machine risk
• assessment.
• Experience scaling controls architectures, engineering standards, and teams
• across machine fleets or factories.
• Pay Range
• $221,130—$305,430 USD

• Holistic Compensation Package: Enjoy a world-class compensation package that
• includes a competitive salary, equity plan, and discretionary results-based
• incentive bonus opportunities, ensuring you're truly valued for your
• contributions.
• Wellness and Time Off: Embrace a healthy lifestyle with paid vacation, sick
• time, and company holidays, including a year-end shutdown to recharge. We
• support growing families with paid parental leave, recognizing the importance
• of bonding time.
• Comprehensive Health and Wellness: Prioritize your well-being with our
• comprehensive health and wellness benefits, offering both HMO and Premium PPO
• options. Additionally, benefit from company-sponsored life insurance and
• short and long-term disability coverage for peace of mind.
• Investment in Growth: We're committed to your professional development. Take
• advantage of reimbursement opportunities for learning and development
• initiatives, empowering you to continuously expand your skill set and reach
• peak performance.
• Collaborative and High-Performing Environment: Join our collaborative,
• dynamic, and high-performing team within a fast-paced, mission-driven
• company. Together, we're disrupting the traditional manufacturing industry,
• fostering innovation, and integrating people and technology to reduce our
• footprint.
• Readjustment Assistance Act.