This role will be onsite once the factory location is selected. Remote for the next year, with some travel. Most likely Southwest USA.

Ubiquitous Energy seeks a skilled and experienced Manufacturing Automation Lead to assist in the company’s photovoltaic manufacturing scaling efforts. This is a senior role, where you will be expected to make high level decisions, own the factory automation from inception and eventually grow a team to support the factory data needs. You are right for this role if you have experience with controls automation for high-tech industrial manufacturing. You will be expected to communicate with equipment vendors about equipment specifications, electrical design, and automation programming. You should have a broad skillset and have a passion to learn new technologies. You like to work independently at times to complete equipment launch projects, while partnering with the manufacturing team to set goals and make design choices.

This is a green field factory, where you will have a chance to drive the strategy, technology and implementation.

Responsibilities

• Design/develop and oversee overall controls automation strategy for manufacturing plant
• Work closely with equipment OEMs to ensure the equipment can run in a 24/7 environment, with very little human interaction
• Provide leadership and make decisions on modifying existing programs vs. hiring outside contractors vs. internal customization for different areas of the factory automation
• Assist with PLC programming as needed using a platform such as Allen Bradley, Siemens, etc
• Evaluate vendor bids and participate in vendor selection process for all components of our factory automation strategy
• Take part in equipment design and quotation processes with various manufacturing equipment vendors, communicating equipment automation requirements (hardware, data formats, standardized instructions, electrical design, etc.)
• Design and implement control reliable safety systems for safeguarding robots, gantries, conveyors, and other high-volume manufacturing equipment as per codes and standards
• Work closely with the Manufacturing Software team to ensure an aligned strategy on factory data collection, as well as integrating with the Manufacturing Execution System (MES)
• Summarize and communicate designs and results with rest of the team on a regular basis, adhering to an established project management and reporting structure
• Travel anticipated for vendor site visits, design reviews, equipment site testing (approx. 1 week per month)
• Maintain and support a positive, collaborative, work environment

The successful candidate will also be expected to provide support to other initiatives and/or other internal operations of the company as needed. Of course, the company may ask the employee to take on different responsibilities and job requirements as the company evolves.

• B.S. in Mechanical, Mechatronics or Electrical Engineering or 10+ years in Controls Automation design and implementation
• 5+ years’ experience in Controls Automation design and implementation
• Experience with Human Machine Interface (HMI) programming (PanelView, Ignition, etc.)
• Experience creating detailed electrical diagrams in a CAD platform
• Programming experience in Ladder Logic and Structured Text
• Experience in software engineering is a plus
• Experience in relational databases such as SQL Server is a plus
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including fluency in Excel, PowerPoint, and Word
• Excellent project and time management skills with ability to execute multiple parallel projects and juggle competing priorities under pressure
• Team player comfortable performing at a high level as an individual contributor
• US citizen or permanent resident

Ubiquitous Energy offers a competitive compensation and benefits package, including discretionary PTO, healthcare plans, and generous family leave policies. We also believe in work life balance, and allow for flexible work arrangements.

Ubiquitous Energy is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Ubiquitous Energy is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status

ABOUT UBIQUITOUS ENERGY Ubiquitous Energy is the world leader in transparent photovoltaics. Its award-winning UE Power™ technology is the world’s only truly transparent solar product. UE Power™ harvests solar energy and serves as an invisible, onboard source of electricity for a variety of end products. The thin coating can be applied to the surface of windows glass to provide electricity generation and energy efficiency while remaining visibly indistinguishable from the fully transparent standard windows on the market today. Originally spun out of MIT, Ubiquitous Energy is now producing its highly transparent, efficient solar cells and windows in its production facility in Silicon Valley. For more information, visit www.ubiquitous.energy.