Automation and Controls Engineer

About:

General Biological (GB) is a pioneering industrial chemical and hardware manufacturing company developing the next generation of scalable, low-cost biomanufacturing technologies. Our mission is to establish a new era of chemical products and physical materials derived from carbohydrates vs. hydrocarbons - to build the 21st century refinery. For more, see here: (

Central to our approach is vertical integration - working at the intersection of biotechnology, chemistry, and integrated hardware-software engineering to scale fast. The GB platform harnesses a non-model organism with remarkable metabolic flexibility and low sterility requirements, enabling us to truly industrialize biotech. By building custom bioreactor hardware and downstream operations, we fully leverage these properties to dramatically reduce capital and operating costs while accelerating execution.

Position Summary:

We are looking for an innovative and driven Automation and Controls Engineer to drive the development, process integration, and validation of our next-generation bioreactor systems. This position requires a strong background in industrial control systems, PLC programming, and rapid iterative improvement based on reactor performance.

As GB pursues vertical integration, you will have opportunities to contribute to teams working on end-to-end hardware and process solutions. We are looking for someone who thrives on project ownership and rapid execution. The ideal candidate will help drive GB's success by developing and improving the design and execution of our current bioreactor automation. This will involve hands on programming, tackling potential problems that may arise in production, and critical problem-solving skills - requiring a first principles mindset and willingness to take calculated risks.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design instrumentation and controls systems based off of our chemical process design and requirements. Own and manage bills of material (BOM), source and procure components, and manage supplier relationships.
• Integrate all electronics and hardware with industrial automation systems (SCADA, HMI, Ignition)
• Design, develop, and manage automation projects - this includes initial factory ideation, machine commissioning, and proof of rate capability, and eventual hand-off to operational teams
• Architect, write, and debug PLC code with an emphasis on generating code that is organized, structured, documented, maintainable, and reusable for high-volume manufacturing applications
• Generate HMI screens to make complex machines easy to understand, operate, and troubleshoot

Required Qualifications:

• BS in electrical engineering, computer science, robotics, mechatronics, or a related field with relevant industry experience.
• PLC programming, preferably Siemens TIA Portal and structured text programming
• HMI, SCADA, IoT (MQTT, OPC-UA), Ignition systems with focus on user friendly navigation and machine health monitoring and control
• Field Bus Networking protocols, preferably EtherCAT, Profinet, Profisafe, Ethernet/IP
• 1+ years of experience with instrumentation process systems design and/or data acquisition systems
• Strong hands-on skills in building and testing prototypes or personal projects
• Excellent leadership and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to think creatively to overcome technical challenges
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex projects and meet aggressive timelines

Preferred Qualifications:

• Ability to work long hours and weekends as necessary to support critical milestones
• Knowledge of process control systems design and automation
• Practical mechanical and industrial site experience with pilot scale and larger fermentation or chemical processing equipment

What We Offer:

• Opportunities for professional growth and development
• A collaborative and innovative work environment
• The chance to make a significant impact in the field of chemical production

If you are passionate about applying your engineering expertise to develop groundbreaking solutions for the chemical industry, we encourage you to apply for this exciting opportunity at General Biological.