Automation & Controls Engineer – Machine Vision Systems

About ProMaterial

ProMaterial is an AI-driven advanced manufacturing company developing intelligent inspection and manufacturing technologies for high-performance materials used in electric vehicles, renewable energy, robotics and industrial manufacturing.

The role

We are looking for an Automation & Controls Engineer to develop, integrate and improve the hardware and control systems behind our industrial inspection technology.

You will work directly with PLCs, industrial cameras, sensors, lighting, motion systems and material-handling equipment, helping us improve our existing inspection machines and develop the next generation of automated inspection systems.

• Controls Development: Develop and improve PLC-based machine control, sequencing, triggering and I/O logic.
• Machine Integration: Integrate cameras, lighting, sensors, encoders, conveyors, rotary systems and pneumatic components into reliable inspection workflows.
• Vision Integration: Coordinate camera triggering, image acquisition and machine movement with our computer vision and AI systems.
• System Optimisation: Diagnose and improve machine timing, synchronisation, communication and overall production reliability.
• Testing & Commissioning: Support machine setup, debugging, validation and deployment in real manufacturing environments.
• Future Automation: Help integrate technologies such as robotic arms, motion systems and automated handling into future generations of our inspection platform.

About you

• Practical experience with PLC programming, industrial automation or machine controls.
• Good understanding of industrial sensors, actuators, I/O and machine sequencing.
• Experience integrating different hardware components into automated machinery or production equipment.
• Comfortable working with industrial cameras, encoders, motion systems or similar automation technologies.
• Able to troubleshoot problems across electrical, controls, communication and mechanical interfaces.
• Comfortable working hands-on with physical equipment as well as developing and modifying control software.
• Able to approach system integration problems independently and systematically.
• Interested in working at the intersection of automation, machine vision and AI.

Experience in any of the following would be valuable, but is not essential:

• Keyence KV series PLCs or similar industrial controllers.
• Industrial machine vision and camera systems.
• Conveyor, rotary table or motion-control systems.
• Encoders, optical sensors, pneumatic systems and solenoid valves.
• Industrial lighting and camera triggering.
• Industrial communication protocols and PLC–PC integration.
• Robotic arms or automated material-handling systems.
• Electrical control systems, machine commissioning or panel wiring.
• Automated inspection or manufacturing equipment.

We welcome candidates from automation, controls, mechatronics, electrical or electronic engineering, robotics or related engineering backgrounds.

Practical engineering ability and experience solving real machine-integration problems are more important to us than any specific academic qualification.

What we offer

• Opportunity to take ownership of the automation and control architecture behind a real industrial AI product.
• Hands-on involvement in developing and improving physical inspection machines.
• Work across industrial automation, machine vision, AI and robotics.
• Freedom to influence the future architecture of our inspection platform.
• Exposure to real manufacturing environments and advanced manufacturing projects in the UK.
• Opportunity to grow with an early-stage technology company as our engineering team expands.