Senior Controls Engineer / Automation Engineer
About Acculon
Acculon Energy designs and manufactures advanced battery modules and packs—specializing in sodium and lithium-ion—for commercial and industrial applications. Based in Columbus, OH, with manufacturing operations in Mason, Ohio. Acculon brings decades of energy storage expertise to deliver safe, scalable, and efficient solutions that go beyond UL safety standards: safety and quality are core pillars in everything we do. Acculon is helping lead the transition to next-generation energy storage, powering smarter, safer, and more sustainable systems, from start to scale.
Position Overview
Acculon Energy is seeking an experienced and highly capable Senior Controls Engineer / Automation Engineer to support the launch and scaling of the company’s first advanced battery module manufacturing and battery pack assembly operation in Mason, Ohio. This role will serve as one of the key technical leaders responsible for the development, integration, support, optimization, and long-term scalability of automated manufacturing equipment and production systems. The Senior Controls Engineer / Automation Engineer will play a critical role in ensuring manufacturing systems operate safely, efficiently, reliably, and at the performance levels required to support advanced battery manufacturing operations.
Core Areas of Responsibility
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Automation & Controls Engineering:
- Design, develop, program, and support automated manufacturing systems and equipment
- Develop and maintain PLC, HMI, motion control, and related automation programs
- Support integration of sensors, vision systems, robotics, test equipment, and automated manufacturing processes
- Assist with equipment startup, commissioning, debugging, and process validation activities
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Manufacturing Equipment Support:
- Troubleshoot controls, electrical, automation, and system integration issues within manufacturing operations
- Support manufacturing uptime and operational reliability initiatives
- Work closely with maintenance and production teams to resolve equipment-related issues quickly and effectively
- Support process optimization and cycle time improvement activities
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Manufacturing Process Development:
- Collaborate with manufacturing and engineering teams to improve process capability, repeatability, and efficiency
- Support implementation of new manufacturing equipment and production technologies
- Assist in development of scalable manufacturing automation strategies
- Participate in process validation and manufacturing qualification activities
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Startup Manufacturing & Continuous Improvement:
- Help establish automation standards, documentation practices, and system architecture guidelines
- Support long-term manufacturing scalability and operational growth initiatives
- Participate in continuous improvement and lean manufacturing efforts
- Contribute to development of a highly automated and operationally disciplined manufacturing environment
Ideal Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate is technically strong, highly hands-on, and comfortable operating in a fast-paced advanced manufacturing startup environment where priorities evolve quickly and operational responsiveness is critical. Successful candidates will demonstrate:
- Strong controls engineering capability
- Practical troubleshooting skills
- System integration experience
- Operational problem-solving ability
- Strong communication, documentation, and problem-solving skills
Candidates should be comfortable spending significant time on the manufacturing floor supporting production operations, equipment startup activities, and troubleshooting manufacturing systems directly. Experience supporting highly automated manufacturing operations within automotive, battery, electronics, semiconductor, robotics, packaging automation, or advanced industrial manufacturing environments is strongly preferred.
Qualifications
- 5–10+ years of controls engineering or industrial automation experience
- Strong PLC programming experience (Allen-Bradley, Siemens, or similar platforms)
- Experience with HMI systems, industrial networking, and automated manufacturing equipment
- Understanding of manufacturing process control and industrial automation principles
- Strong communication, documentation, and problem-solving skills
Preferred Experience
- Battery manufacturing, automotive, electronics, robotics, or advanced manufacturing environments
- Robotics integration and vision systems
- Motion control and servo systems
- Automated test systems and manufacturing data collection
- Startup manufacturing or rapid-growth operational environments
- Manufacturing uptime
- Production throughput
- Equipment reliability
- Process consistency
- Operational scalability
- Long-term manufacturing competitiveness
- Automation Engineering leadership roles
- Manufacturing Engineering management
- Controls Architecture or Systems Engineering positions
- Operations Technology leadership
- Broader manufacturing operations leadership opportunities
- Establish stable and reliable automated manufacturing systems
- Minimize equipment downtime
- Improve manufacturing efficiency and throughput
- Support rapid troubleshooting and operational responsiveness
- Drive process optimization
- Help build a scalable manufacturing automation infrastructure capable of supporting long-term operational growth and technical excellence
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Relocation assistance
- Vision insurance
Why This Role Matters
The Senior Controls Engineer / Automation Engineer will play a foundational role in helping Acculon Energy establish highly capable, scalable, and reliable advanced manufacturing operations. This role directly impacts:
Growth Opportunity
Successful candidates may have opportunities to grow into:
What Success Looks Like
Successful Senior Controls Engineers / Automation Engineers at Acculon Energy will:
Benefits
Work Location
In person
Mason, Ohio
Salary Range
$110,000 – $135,000