Application Engineer

Rockwell Automation is building machine vision and visual inspection into the Automation Control Software portfolio. You will own the controls side of it - the PLC architecture, the Add-On Instructions, and the interface that lets a Logix controller talk to an inspection system as a first-class part of the machine rather than a bolt-on.

This work already lives in Studio 5000 Logix Designer. You will own where it goes next: the integration patterns, the reference architecture customers and system integrators build against, and the custom controls integrations that hard applications require.

You will work in an AI-first engineering environment - coding agents in the inner loop, hardware- and simulation-in-the-loop evals gating any AI-generated change before it reaches a controller, GitHub Copilot Enterprise and Claude in daily use, and MCP-based tooling that reaches real build and test systems under human-in-the-loop review. Controls code is where those gates have to be hardest, and you will define what they are for this interface.

This role will have a remote schedule and will report to the Director, Software Engineering.

Your Responsibilities:

• Own the PLC-side architecture and implementation for vision and inspection integration, including Add-On Instructions and the controller interface definition.
• Define and maintain the reference integration architecture that customers and system integrators build against.
• Build custom controls integrations for applications the standard interface does not cover.
• Own the controls interface contract between the inspection system and Studio 5000 Logix Designer, including timing and determinism requirements.
• Provide deep technical support for controls integration issues escalated from the field.
• Partner with edge and product engineering so controls constraints shape the product rather than get discovered late.
• Define the review and validation gates for AI-assisted change to controls code.

• Bachelor’s Degree or Equivalent Years of Relevant Work Experience.
• Legal authorization to work in the US is required. We will not sponsor individuals for employment visas, now or in the future, for this job opening.

The Preferred - You Might Also Have:

• Typically requires 5+ years of related experience in controls engineering or industrial software.
• Bachelor’s or advanced degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Depth in Studio 5000 Logix Designer and Logix controllers, including Add-On Instruction design.
• Experience with industrial protocols - EtherNet/IP, OPC UA, and equivalent fieldbus interfaces.
• Experience building reference architectures or reusable libraries that other integrators adopt.
• Machine vision or inspection integration experience in a production environment.
• Experience working alongside a software product team rather than only in a systems integration model.
• Comfort supporting customers and integrators on escalated technical issues.
• Experience architecting and implementing PLC control code for production machinery
• Experience defining integration interfaces between a controller and an external system

What We Offer:

• Health Insurance including Medical, Dental and Vision
• 401k
• Paid Time off
• Parental and Caregiver Leave
• Flexible Work Schedule where you will work with your manager to enjoy a work schedule that can be flexible with your personal life.

Rockwell Automation is a global technology leader focused on helping the world’s manufacturers be more productive, sustainable, and agile. With more than 28,000 employees who make the world better every day, we know we have something special. Behind our customers - amazing companies that help feed the world, provide life-saving medicine on a global scale, and focus on clean water and green mobility - our people are energized problem solvers that take pride in how the work we do changes the world for the better.

We welcome all makers, forward thinkers, and problem solvers who are looking for a place to do their best work. And if that’s you we would love to have you join us!