Senior Controls Engineer, Automation

Are you ready to build America’s energy future? Form Energy is an American manufacturing and energy technology company. We’re revolutionizing energy storage with cost-effective, multi-day technology designed to keep the electric grid secure and reliable, even during extended periods of stress. By strengthening the electric system and reimagining what’s possible, we’re giving clean energy a whole new form! 

In recent years, Form Energy has earned a number of accolades, including being named by TIME as a “Best Invention”, MIT Technology Review as a “Top Climate Tech Company To Watch”, and Fast Company as “One of the Next Big Things In Tech”. We are making rapid progress on our mission of delivering energy storage for a better world, and our team is growing just as rapidly to meet demand. We have signed contracts with leading electric utilities across the United States and production of our iron-air batteries is underway at our first high-volume manufacturing facility in West Virginia.

Working for Form Energy is more than just a job, it’s a chance to be part of something extraordinary. And now - right as we significantly scale up battery manufacturing -  might be the most exciting moment in the company’s history to join. We are assembling a team of highly talented and driven individuals across the country. Driven by our core values of humanity, excellence, and creativity, our team is determined to deliver on our mission and transform the energy landscape for the better.

Feeling energized to make a meaningful impact on the world? Then keep reading - you’ve come to the right place.

Role Description

As a Senior Controls Engineer, Automation, you will architect, develop, and deploy the industrial control systems powering our high-volume battery manufacturing operations. Reporting to the Controls Engineering Manager, you will lead the design and integration of novel equipment and execution systems that are essential to producing our iron-air technology at scale. Based at Form Factory 1 in Weirton, WV, you will partner with multidisciplinary teams to solve complex automation challenges and ensure the long-term reliability of our production systems. Your leadership in building robust control architectures directly enables the grid-scale energy storage necessary for a stable and secure electric grid.

What you'll do:

• Lead the design, programming, and deployment of complex industrial control systems (PLC/HMI/SCADA) for novel battery manufacturing equipment.

• Serve as the technical lead for automation projects, coordinating cross-functionally with Robotics, Vision, and SCADA teams to ensure systems meet technical requirements on schedule.

• Develop and test PLC-to-MES data transactions and tracking handshakes to ensure seamless manufacturing execution and data integrity.

• Partner with external equipment vendors to enforce Form Energy standards, conducting Factory and Site Acceptance Testing (FAT/SAT).

• Provide expert-level electrical and controls support to resolve escalated production issues, minimizing downtime and improving process throughput.

• Mentor and provide technical guidance to junior engineers, fostering a culture of excellence and high performance.

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives by utilizing feedback from production and maintenance teams to optimize system reliability and safety.

• Participate in a rotating on-call schedule to provide high-level troubleshooting support for mission-critical manufacturing operations.

What you'll bring:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

• 6+ years of applied experience designing and troubleshooting industrial control systems in a high-volume manufacturing environment.

• Advanced proficiency in Siemens TIA-Portal and Rockwell Studio 5000, with the ability to program and execute independently.

• Practical experience with SCADA and HMI platforms, specifically Ignition Perspective, Siemens WinCC, or Rockwell FTView.

• Strong technical foundation in functional safety programming, including ProfiSafe and CIP Safety protocols.

• Expertise in reading, interpreting, and redlining complex electrical schematics and using data tools like iba or Octoplant for system analysis.

• Familiarity with integrating vision systems and barcode scanners, such as Keyence or Cognex, into automated workflows.

• Excellent technical communication skills and the ability to translate complex controls concepts for diverse audiences.

• Pragmatic problem-solving skills and a commitment to intellectual rigor when tackling first-of-a-kind automation challe