Searchability®
Controls Engineer
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Controls Engineer
Location: Abingdon, Oxfordshire
Working pattern: 4 days per week onsite, with some flexibility
Salary: £35,000 - £80,000 depending on experience
Graduate opportunities from: £25,000+
Benefits: EMI share options, up to 10% annual bonus, 25 days holiday + bank holidays, pension
The Opportunity
Searchability is working with a rapidly growing, venture-backed engineering technology company based at Culham Science Centre in Oxfordshire.
Founded in 2024 as a UKAEA spinout, the business has grown from two to ten people in the space of a year and plans to approximately double again over the next 12 months.
The company is developing an innovative AI platform designed to accelerate complex hardware engineering while maintaining the traceability and professional sign-off required within regulated environments.
Rather than separating product development from engineering, the team delivers real engineering projects across bespoke machinery and complex scientific facilities, using that experience to develop and improve its AI platform.
This means you'll remain a hands-on Controls Engineer while also helping shape how AI can transform engineering workflows.
The Role
We're looking for a Controls Engineer who enjoys taking engineering projects beyond the design stage and seeing systems commissioned and operating in the real world.
You'll work across both client engineering projects and the development of the company's engineering platform, with responsibilities including:
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- Designing bespoke, low-level control systems for custom machinery and complex facilities
- PLC programming and field device integration
- Working with platforms such as Siemens, Rockwell, Beckhoff or CODESYS
- Integrating and commissioning motors and motor drives
- Developing systems involving robotics, drones, cranes, ROS 2 or similar technologies
- Implementing functional safety within real machinery and control systems
- Supporting projects from initial design through build, integration and site delivery
- Working across the controls and electrical engineering boundary
- Using software and coding alongside traditional controls engineering
- Collaborating with engineers and software specialists to improve AI-assisted engineering workflows
What We're Looking For
We're particularly interested in practical, design-led engineers with broad technical experience.
You'll ideally have experience with:
- PLC programming and controls engineering
- Electrical and field device integration
- Motors and motor drives
- Machinery or complex engineering systems
- Functional safety
- Taking projects from design through to commissioning or site
- Some programming experience in Python, C++, C#, Java or similar
- Object-oriented programming principles
Experience with ISO 13849, IEC 62061 or IEC 61508 would be particularly valuable, especially where you've implemented Performance Levels or SIL requirements yourself. Additional desirable experience includes MATLAB/Simulink, ROS 2, nuclear, data centres or other regulated facilities, and Chartership or progress towards it.
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You don't need to be a software developer. The team currently works heavily with C# and can teach this.
Who Could Fit?
The business is open-minded on seniority, from talented graduates through to engineers with approximately 15 years' experience.
The sweet spot is around 5-10 years, but attitude, breadth and practical engineering ability are more important than years on a CV.
Package
Salary will depend on experience, with indicative levels of:
- Graduate: £25,000+
- Engineer: £35,000+
- Senior: £50,000+
- Principal: £70,000 - £80,000
There may be flexibility beyond these ranges for exceptional candidates.
You'll also receive EMI share options, an annual bonus of up to 10%, 25 days' holiday plus bank holidays and a NEST pension.
Interview Process
The process typically consists of an initial 30-minute screening call followed by approximately two hours onsite at Culham Science Centre.
The onsite stage includes an informal discussion, a demonstration of current engineering work and a formal interview. In some cases, a technical task may be provided beforehand.
Apply through Searchability to find out more.
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