Controls Engineer – Safety PLC

Job Title: Controls Engineer – Safety PLC

Job Overview

• We are seeking an experienced Autonomous Mobile Robots controls engineer with hands-on expertise in functional safety and SICK safety PLCs (e.g., Flexi Soft, SICK Safety Controller). The role focuses on designing, implementing, validating, and maintaining safety functions for autonomous mobile robots, integrating SICK safety sensors/encoders/scanners and coordinating with motion, navigation, and control teams to meet ISO 3691-4 and ISO 13849-1 / IEC 62061 requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the safety architecture for AMR platforms: hazard analysis, risk assessment, and safety concept definition.
• Design and program safety logic in SICK safety PLCs (e.g., Flexi Soft) including safe-state handling and diagnostics.
• Integrate SICK safety scanners (e.g., microScan3), safety encoders, safe I/O, and interlocks with drives/PLCs.
• Implement and validate safety functions: STO, SS1, SOS, SLS, SLP, SDI, SSM; map to PL/SIL targets.
• Develop safety I/O maps, safety task flows, and communication over PROFINET / EtherNet/IP / CIP Safety as applicable.
• Support perception & navigation teams (ROS/ROS2, SLAM, localization) to ensure safe speed/zone monitoring and field sets.
• Lead Safety Verification & Validation (SV&V): test plans, traceability, evidence, and safety case documentation.
• Perform PL/SIL calculations using SISTEMA (or equivalent) and document MTTFd, DCavg, PFHd per component/channel.
• Conduct change management, FMEA/FTA for safety-related changes; own release readiness and compliance gates.
• Interface with certification bodies and auditors; prepare documentation to comply with ISO 3691-4, IEC 61508, ISO 13849-1, IEC 62061.
• Troubleshoot field issues; root-cause analysis and corrective actions (hardware, firmware, configuration, timing).
• Train operations and service teams on safe commissioning, maintenance, and periodic proof testing.

Qualifications & Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical, Electronics, Instrumentation, Mechatronics, or related field.
• 3–5 years total experience in industrial automation/robotics; 2 years specifically on AMR/AGV safety.
• Hands-on programming/configuration of SICK safety PLCs (Flexi Soft/Safety Designer) and SICK scanners/encoders.
• Demonstrated experience with CIP Safety over EtherNet/IP and/or PROFINET PROFIsafe for safe communications.
• Strong knowledge of ISO 3691-4 (industrial trucks—driverless), ISO 13849-1 (PL), IEC 62061 (SIL), and IEC 61508 fundamentals.
• Experience defining and validating safety functions for mobile robots (zones, field sets, protective stops, e-stop).
• Competence in PL/SIL calculation tools (e.g., SISTEMA) and compiling a safety case with traceability.
• Familiarity with drives and safe motion integrations (Siemens, Beckhoff, Rockwell, Yaskawa, etc.).
• Ability to read electrical schematics; select safety-rated components (relays, contactors, e-stops, light curtains).
• Proficiency in creating test plans, requirement documents, and change control records.
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Exposure to ROS/ROS2 and integrating safety constraints with navigation stack and mission control.
• Experience with SICK microScan3 configuration (field sets), safe encoders HIPERFACE/SSI, and Flexi Soft gateways.
• Hands-on with Siemens TIA Portal, Beckhoff TwinCAT, or Rockwell Studio 5000 for standard control (non-safety) will be added advantage.
• Knowledge of functional safety lifecycle, safety requirements allocation, and verification plans.
• Experience with EMC, environmental, and compliance testing for mobile platforms.

Tools & Tech Stack

• SICK Safety Designer / Flexi Soft Designer; SICK microScan3 configuration tools.
• PLC environments: TIA Portal, TwinCAT, Studio 5000; fieldbus config tools (PROFINET, EtherNet/IP).