Director, PLC Experts

Director, PLC Experts

Posted on 02/05/2026

Location

Hoboken, NJ

Description

About PLCs.ai

PLCs.ai is an AI-powered platform transforming industrial automation by analyzing and generating PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) code across multiple vendors. We work with some of the world's top manufacturers as design partners across multiple sectors including CPG, automotive, and medical devices.

Our platform converts complex PLC code into natural language, removes bottlenecks where single PLC experts become gatekeepers, and enables engineers to query complicated projects through conversational interfaces.

We've just closed our seed round and are building the foundational team that will scale this platform. This is a rare opportunity to join at the ground floor of a company solving a massive problem in a $50B+ industry.

About the Role

We're looking for a seasoned PLC professional to lead our domain expertise function. This is a unique opportunity for someone with deep industrial automation experience to join a cutting edge AI startup and shape how the next generation of manufacturing tools are built.

You'll report directly to the CTO and work at the intersection of industrial automation and artificial intelligence. Your expertise will be critical in training our AI agents with industry-specific knowledge, validating platform outputs, and ensuring our tools meet the standards that production engineers expect.

You'll collaborate closely with our R&D, AI, and Product teams to translate deep PLC knowledge into AI capabilities. As we expand to support more vendors and industries, you'll build and lead the team of PLC experts that makes it all possible.

Major Duties & Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

• Train and guide our AI agents with industry-specific knowledge, best practices, and vendor-specific conventions
• Validate AI-generated code and responses for accuracy, safety, and adherence to industrial standards
• Test and evaluate platform outputs against native vendor IDEs (Studio 5000, TIA Portal, and others)
• Work closely with the Product team to define requirements, influence the roadmap, and ensure we're building what manufacturers actually need
• Collaborate with R&D and AI teams to encode domain knowledge into our platform architecture
• Write code to support platform development, testing workflows, and validation tooling
• Develop evaluation frameworks and test cases that measure platform quality against real-world scenarios
• Build and lead the PLC experts team as we expand vendor and industry coverage
• Serve as the internal authority on PLC programming standards, industry best practices, and vendor-specific nuances

Minimum Skills & Abilities

Requirements

• Deep expertise in Allen Bradley and Siemens PLCs, with hands-on experience in their respective IDEs (Studio 5000, TIA Portal)
• Proficiency in all major PLC programming languages: Ladder Logic, Structured Text, Function Block Diagram, Sequential Function Chart, and Instruction List
• 10+ years of experience in industrial automation, controls engineering, or PLC programming
• Ability to write code beyond PLC languages: Python, JavaScript, or similar languages relevant to modern software platforms
• Strong understanding of industry standards for industrial automation and manufacturing
• Experience across multiple manufacturing environments: production lines, machine control, process automation
• Excellent communication skills: ability to translate complex technical concepts for cross-functional teams
• Startup mentality: comfortable with ambiguity, excited to build from the ground up

Minimum Education & Experience

Nice to Have

• Experience with additional PLC vendors (Beckhoff, Omron, Mitsubishi, Fanuc, Modicon)
• Background in CPG or automotive manufacturing
• Experience with HMI/SCADA systems and industrial networking
• Prior experience leading technical teams
• Familiarity with AI/ML concepts and how they apply to industrial applications