Senior Staff Controls Engineer (Automation & Motion Systems)

About the Company

The HGA Process Development team owns early-stage process invention, feasibility, and KPIV understanding to enable future product requirements. The team builds deep, physics-based process knowledge, focusing on identifying critical KPIVs, defining their relationships to KPOVs, and delivering validated, tool-ready concepts. Working closely with HGA/TGA design and product teams, the group ensures alignment to next-generation architectures while influencing process capability and design tradeoffs. Operating upstream of integration and factory organizations, the team emphasizes rapid learning, concept validation, and technical risk reduction. Development is strongly engineering-driven, with focus on process physics, materials behavior, and reliability, supported by analytical tools such as modeling and FEA.

Responsibilities

• Architect and develop control systems for advanced HGA process equipment, translating process requirements into precise, repeatable, and scalable system behavior
• Define and implement motion control, vision alignment, and automation strategies for high-precision assembly, dispensing, interconnect formation, and inspection processes
• Partner with tool design engineers and process architects to ensure critical KPIVs are measured, controlled, and maintained through system design
• Develop and integrate closed-loop control systems using feedback from sensors, vision systems, and metrology to ensure process stability and consistency
• Establish alignment, positioning, and calibration strategies to meet tight tolerances for next-generation HGA designs
• Drive automation architecture development, including sequencing, machine control logic, and system integration across mechanical, electrical, and software domains
• Collaborate with software, vision, and metrology engineers to integrate data acquisition, process monitoring, and control algorithms into tool platforms
• Support rapid prototyping and iteration of control systems on bench and prototype tools to accelerate process learning and concept validation
• Work with internal development teams and external suppliers to implement controls solutions for first-of-kind equipment
• Collaborate with global engineering teams, including U.S.-based partners, requiring flexibility for cross-time-zone engagement and periodic evening meetings
• Deliver robust and scalable control solutions to enable downstream replication, optimization, and deployment of process capability

Qualifications

• Background in controls engineering, automation, mechatronics, or related field, with experience in precision equipment or manufacturing systems
• Experience in motion control, vision systems, or automation development; exposure to PLCs, embedded systems, or machine control platforms is a plus
• Familiarity with system integration across mechanical, electrical, and software domains
• Understanding of process requirements such as precision, repeatability, and process control, and ability to translate these into control strategies
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with ability to debug complex system interactions and drive root cause understanding
• Experience with data acquisition, signal processing, or feedback control concepts is a plus
• Good communication skills in English (written and spoken) for effective collaboration with global, cross-functional teams
• Demonstrated teamwork and initiative, with ability to work in a fast-paced, iterative development environment

Additional Information

Location: Teparuk, Thailand

Teparuk site is home to over 4,000 employees and specializes in producing nano-recording heads. On-site amenities include a 24/7 canteen and coffee shop, running track, gymnasium and fitness center, and various sports facilities. The site offers extracurricular activities (music, dance, aerobics), green spaces, employee resource groups (SWLN, PRIDE, parents and caregivers), on-site festivals, celebrations, and community giving opportunities.