Senior Software Engineer - Equipment Controls

Job Description: Looking for a talented and self-motivated Senior Software Engineer to develop, maintain, troubleshoot, and extend machine-control software for Client electro-mechanical additive manufacturing systems. The ideal candidate has strong C++ and C# experience, is comfortable working close to hardware, and can debug complex real-time equipment behavior from software, controls, electrical, process, and operator-facing symptoms.

Job Duties:

• Design, implement, maintain, and troubleshoot real-time C++ machine-control software for complex control systems, including gas flow control, motion systems, timing and communication systems.

• Develop and maintain C#/.NET HMI, backend, configuration, setup-wizard, and diagnostics software for complex equipment operation.

• Integrate and debug industrial automation hardware including EtherCAT I/O, safety interfaces, PMAC/Delta Tau motion systems, PLC interactions, sensors, actuators, lasers, and related machine peripherals.

• Support machine bring-up, commissioning, production troubleshooting, and root-cause analysis using logs, database telemetry, diagnostics, simulator behavior, and direct machine testing.

• Work with controls, electrical, mechanical, process, optics, manufacturing, and field teams to turn machine behavior requirements into robust software and controls implementations.

• Improve fault handling, fail-safe behavior, operator messaging, configuration persistence, diagnostics, and recovery workflows for production equipment.

• Maintain and extend shared software libraries and deployment support for multiple machine projects.

• Document designs, handoff notes, test plans, commissioning procedures, and troubleshooting guidance for systems that must be maintained by a broader engineering team.

• Participate in code reviews, enforce practical testing discipline, and mentor less experienced engineers.

Skills/Qualifications:

Required:

• Object-oriented design and analysis (OOA/OOD) with demonstrated ability to translate ambiguous machine requirements into maintainable software designs.

• Strong professional experience with modern C++ in equipment, embedded, real-time, or other hardware-adjacent software environments.

• Strong professional experience with C#/.NET for HMI, tooling, configuration, diagnostics, or backend equipment software.

• Ability to independently debug complex software and machine behavior across C++, C#, real-time systems, industrial I/O, hardware interfaces, logs, and operator workflows.

• Working understanding of industrial automation concepts such as communication buses, sensors, actuators, motion, PLC/safety interaction, interlocks, fault handling, real-time constraints, and fail-safe behavior.

• Experience designing or maintaining GUI/HMI systems for complex control systems or production equipment.

• Comfort working directly with machines in a lab or factory environment, including bring-up, commissioning, issue reproduction, and validation testing.

• Experience with source control, issue tracking, code reviews, and practical test planning for software that interacts with hardware.

• Experience using AI tooling to effectively and safely assist in software development, such as Codex / Claude / Copilot.

• Strong analytical, written, and verbal communication skills; must be able to work effectively across software, controls, electrical, mechanical, process, and manufacturing teams.

Strongly Desired:

• Experience with RTOS or real-time Windows extensions such as IntervalZero RTX, or comparable real-time control environments.

• Experience with EtherCAT, Beckhoff/TwinCAT, Siemens PLCs, Delta Tau/PMAC, Galil, Client, or comparable motion/control platforms.

• Experience with gas/vacuum/chamber systems, inerting, O2 safety, purifier/filter systems, pressure control, valves, blowers, or similar process-control subsystems.

• Experience with laser systems, CNC equipment, additive manufacturing, semiconductor equipment, robotics, test equipment, or other complex electro-mechanical production tools.

• Experience with SQL-type database systems and query/debug workflows, including PostgreSQL.

• Experience using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, multimeters, or similar tools to debug hardware/software interfaces.

• Background in mechatronics, electrical systems, controls engineering, or manufacturing equipment support.

• Python or other scripting experience for automation, diagnostics, test tooling, or data analysis.

Education/Experience:

Required:

• BS degree in Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, Mechatronics, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.

• 7+ years of relevant professional experience developing software for industrial automation, equipment controls, embedded systems, real-time systems, robotics, motion systems, or similar hardware-integrated products.

Desired:

• MS degree preferred.

• 10+ years of relevant experience preferred for candidates near the top of the salary range.