Senior Algorithm & Machine Control Scientist - Halo Industries, Inc.

The Company

Halo Industries has invented a technology to replace a decades-old semiconductor material slicing process that wastes billions of dollars annually. 

Halo’s laser-based technology eliminates this waste, delivering improvements in both material cost and performance, while enabling manufacturing advancements in a diverse set of high-growth applications markets, including the automotive, grid infrastructure, telecommunications and power electronics sectors.  

Halo originally spun out of Stanford University in 2014, acquiring a significant A round of VC funding in 2020 following the successful demonstration of the company’s precision material slicing equipment.

Halo is now planning its volume manufacturing operations and building a passionate team to meet its next milestone of deploying the company’s first fully integrated production line.

Halo Industries is well-funded, engaged with strategic customers, and staged to achieve rapid operational, revenue, and valuation growth.   

The Opportunity

The evolution of Halo’s technology and equipment, growing from an R&D focus to a production manufacturing environment, has triggered the need for an experienced candidate who can lead the design, development, and deployment of the company’s key production line equipment control.

Job Description

• Take ownership of an advanced Python machine control framework
• Develop and maintain software applications for equipment communication and integration into factory systems
• Define control standards to be implemented uniformly across the production line
• Evaluate and select industrial controller hardware (e.g. PC, PLC, embedded microcontroller)
• Write high level device drivers for robotics, motion control, lasers, and data acquisition
• Integrate custom and off-the-shelf device drivers into reliable, robust operator controllable state machines
• Develop multiple graphical user interfaces tailored for R&D and operations purposes
• Perform thorough testing and debugging from the system level down to the component level
• Maintain thorough documentation and version control
• Work closely with mechanical, electrical, system, and NPI engineers

Requirements

Preferred Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science or a related technical field with 10+ years of applicable experience
• Candidates with advanced degrees may qualify for a given position with fewer years of experience.

What We’re Looking For

• Expert level Python programmer with machine control experience
• Command of basic concepts and advanced features of Python
• Knowledge of best practices for implementing high-reliability production line instrument control systems
• Experience with different hardware communication protocols (e.g. Modbus, TCP/IP, serial, ASCII, USB)
• Working knowledge of servos, motors, sensors, actuators, I/O devices, and relays
• Experience with source control (preferably Git)
• Product and process development experience leading to an ability to understand the desired system behaviors
• Outstanding detail-oriented analytical, creative, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to think critically to diagnose issues and optimize complex processes
• Ability to work self-sufficiently with minimal oversight
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to lead and work effectively within an interdisciplinary team
• Desire to play a ground-floor leadership role in a high-growth environment

Bonus

• Graphical User Interfaces with Qt
• Experience using asynchronous I/O for concurrency
• Experience with C# and .NET
• Semiconductor manufacturing experience
• Experience with Human Machine Interaction systems

• Expertise in mechatronics/automation design (motor sizing, actuator design, sensor selection, etc.)

• Past startup experience and insights/lessons learned on effectively scaling from R&D to production

Benefits

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan (401k, IRA)
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity)
• Stock Option Plan