Sr. Controls Engineer, Device Postponement Operations (DPO)

Amazon Lab126’s Device Postponement Operations (DPO) team supports in-region postponement, customization, and pack-out for Amazon devices. In this onsite role in Dallas, TX, you will own the design, development, and delivery of automation controls systems across U.S. and EU/UK locations, helping enable configurable device assembly at low cost and high quality.

As a senior controls engineer, you will work end-to-end on automation programs that connect PLC/HMI logic, motion, robotics, and machine vision, while also driving MES/SCADA integration for production visibility and OEE improvement. You will collaborate with engineering, operations, and leadership, including working with external integrators and vendors during critical project phases.

What you’ll do

• Own controls system architecture for complex manufacturing automation lines, including PLC/HMI programming, motion control, robotics integration, and vision systems
• Design and develop end-to-end automation systems from concept through commissioning: define requirements, design the controls solution, validate through FAT/SAT, document specifications, select suppliers, and drive production deployment
• Design and deploy machine vision for automated inspection, including cosmetic inspection, defect detection, dimensional verification, and barcode or label validation, selecting cameras, lighting, and software platforms and validating accuracy against quality standards
• Lead the full automation program lifecycle by developing and maintaining schedules, decomposing functional requirements, managing budgets, tracking milestones, and sharing status across stakeholders
• Manage external automation integrators, contractors, and vendors by negotiating technical approaches, managing deliverables and timelines, and holding partners accountable to cost, quality, and schedule targets across multiple geographies
• Travel to manufacturing sites and vendor facilities across the U.S. and EU/UK for equipment FATs, line commissioning, production support, and integrator oversight as on-site technical authority during critical phases
• Drive MES/SCADA integration strategies, including data collection architecture, real-time production visibility, and OEE improvement via controls optimization and predictive maintenance strategies
• Contribute hardware and CAD expertise in fixture, tooling, and layout design by reviewing CAD models and engineering drawings and supporting hardware design decisions impacting controls architecture and integration
• Create comprehensive test and validation plans to validate controls designs and address system integration challenges across mechanical, electrical, and software interfaces
• Identify, assess, and mitigate program-level technical risks with pragmatic trade-offs between short-term needs and long-term system roadmaps
• Design project strategies that decompose complex programs for parallel work, then reassemble into a cohesive system design
• Create mechanisms to reduce repeat issues by standardizing controls platforms, improving manufacturing involvement in design, and driving best practices
• Collaborate cross-functionally across hardware, software, manufacturing, automation, and quality disciplines to support extensible solution development and integration
• Mentor and develop junior engineers, contributing to hiring, performing technical assessments, and participating in design reviews to improve delivery quality

Minimum qualifications

• 3+ years of PLC programming experience
• Bachelor’s degree (or foreign equivalent) in robotics, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or related field
• 7+ years of industrial controls and automation experience, or Master’s degree in computer science or electrical engineering
• Experience developing functional specifications, design verification plans, and functional test procedures
• Experience designing or implementing integrated automation solutions such as material handling systems, high-speed packaging lines, or manufacturing lines
• Experience carrying design concepts from exploration through development into deployment or mass production
• Experience leading vendor/integrator relationships and managing external contractors to deliver technical solutions on time and on budget

Technologies you may use

• PLC, HMI, MES, SCADA, PLC/SCADA integration
• AutoCAD, Rhino, Revit, SolidWorks, CREO, SketchUp, KeyShot

Benefits

• Health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription)
• Basic Life & AD&D insurance
• Option for Supplemental life plans
• EAP
• Mental Health Support
• Medical Advice Line
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage
• 401(k) matching
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Sign-on payments
• Restricted stock units (RSUs)

About the team

• Device Postponement Operations (DPO) is part of Amazon Lab126 and is responsible for in-region postponement, customization, and pack-out of Amazon’s devices
• DPO finalizes assembly of devices using automated assembly and pack-out lines so Amazon can customize products to meet just-in-time demand
• Amazon can deliver the right configuration of a product quickly, at low cost, with high quality
• Amazon’s Lab126 began in 2004 as a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc., creating the best-selling Kindle family of products
• Lab126 has produced devices including Fire TV, the Echo Family of products, and Astro
• Lab126 delivers unique Amazon experiences for digital and physical products