Automation Designer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Hadrian is building autonomous factories to reindustrialize America. By combining AI, advanced software, robotics, and full-stack manufacturing, we help aerospace and defense companies build rockets, satellites, aircraft, ships, and other mission-critical systems up to 10x faster and at significantly lower cost.

Following our $1.37B Series D at a $7.87B valuation, Hadrian is rapidly expanding our manufacturing footprint, launching new capabilities across welding, casting, forging, electronics, additive manufacturing, and more, while scaling our Factory-as-a-Service platform to transform how critical products are built.

Backed by leading investors including JPMorgan Chase, Valor Equity Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund, 137 Ventures, Lux Capital, T. Rowe Price, and Morgan Stanley, we’re building the future of American manufacturing—and looking for exceptional people to help make it happen.

If you’re ready to take on the most challenging and rewarding work of your career while helping create American manufacturing jobs for generations to come, you’re exactly who we’re looking for.

We are hiring an Automation Engineer, NDT to design and deploy automation for advanced NDT inspection cells across UT, VT, RT, and CT.

This is an end-to-end automation role for someone who has direct experience building inspection capability in the real world. You will own robot / motion paths, sensor integration, acquisition timing, station sequencing, operator UX, data traceability, safety, and production commissioning. You will partner with certified NDT personnel and Quality on method validation, acceptance criteria, and audit evidence.

This is not an NDT technician role and not a generic controls role. We are looking for someone who has personally designed, deployed, or commissioned automated inspection / NDT systems and knows what breaks when those systems hit production.

• Design and deploy automated inspection cells for advanced NDT methods including ultrasonic testing (UT), visual testing / visual inspection (VT), radiographic testing (RT), and computed tomography (CT).

• Own the cell automation stack: robot / motion path, sensor integration, deterministic triggering, acquisition PC, sequencer, HMI / operator UX, data logging, and production handoff.

• Plan scan / inspection paths that balance coverage, probability of detection, cycle time, kinematics, collision risk, and operator workflow.

• Integrate modality-specific hardware: phased-array UT probes, cameras / lighting / optics, digital radiography sources and detectors, CT turntables / reconstruction flows, and related acquisition systems.

• Partner with certified NDT personnel and Quality to validate methods against applicable standards and customer requirements.

• Build structured inspection data pipelines for SPC, traceability, customer handoff, and archival.

• Own station safety with EHS: radiation for RT / CT, laser / lighting for VT, couplant / water / ergonomics for UT, collision and LOTO for all modalities.

• Commission on the floor, debug drift / escapes / false calls / timing issues, and hold the line when inspection blocks production.

• Qualify vendors and integrators; write acceptance tests, red-line designs, and keep suppliers honest.

• Codify reusable inspection automation patterns so the next station inherits a platform instead of a one-off science project.
  

• 3+ years designing, deploying, or commissioning automated inspection / NDT systems in production or high-reliability environments.

• Direct ownership of at least one automated inspection station involving robot / motion, sensor acquisition, station sequencing, data logging, and acceptance / production handoff.

• Deep practical experience in at least one advanced NDT modality:

  • UT: phased-array, TFM / FMC, encoded scanning, robotic scan paths, couplant handling.

  • VT: 2D / 3D / multispectral vision, lighting, optics, calibration, dimensional / cosmetic inspection, gauge R&R.

  • RT: digital radiography, source / detector integration, shielding, interlocks, radiation safety.

  • CT: turntable / positioning, reconstruction pipeline, volumetric analysis, large-data workflow.

• Measurement rigor: MSA / gauge R&R, POD / ROC where applicable, uncertainty, acceptance criteria, and audit-ready evidence.

• Working knowledge of robot / motion systems and industrial controls such as Fanuc, ABB, Kuka, Yaskawa, Beckhoff TwinCAT, or Siemens TIA.

• Comfort debugging across mechanical, controls, acquisition, software, data, Quality, and operator workflows.

• Bachelor's degree in EE, ME, Mechatronics, Robotics, Physics, Materials, or related STEM, or equivalent direct experience.

• ITAR eligible.
  

• Radiation safety officer / state radiation safety training for RT / CT.

• GD&T, CMM, metrology, or dimensional inspection background.

• Python or C# for acquisition glue, vendor SDK wrappers, data processing, or inspection automation tooling.

• Experience with inspecting to industry standards such as NAS 410, SNT-TC-1A, ASTM, AWS D1.x, MIL-STD, NAVSEA, or customer-specific aerospace / defense inspection requirements.

• Experience designing and deploying automation into production.

• Offline robot programming and simulation experience with RoboDK, Process Simulate, Visual Components, or native robot tools.

• Production experience in aerospace, defense, medical, power generation, nuclear, or shipbuilding environments where customers audit inspection methods.

• Experience turning one-off inspection stations into reusable platforms: calibration workflows, scan-path templates, fixture standards, data schemas, and acceptance tests.
  

$145,000 - $230,000 (actual range may vary based on experience)

This range reflects what we reasonably expect to pay at the time of posting. Compensation depends on education, experience, skills, location, performance, and business needs.

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans for employees

• 401k

• Relocation support may be provided for certain situations, based on business need.

• Flexible vacation policy

• Equity

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

Hadrian uses AI-assisted tools in our recruiting and hiring processes to help our team work more efficiently. This may include tools that help organize and analyze recruiting data, as well as an AI-powered notetaker that can record and transcribe interviews and help coordinate feedback. These tools support our team and are not used to make hiring decisions. All candidate evaluations and hiring decisions are performed by humans. If an interview will be recorded, you will be notified in advance and may opt out at any time with no impact on your candidacy. Candidate data processed through these tools is subject to the same protections described in our Privacy Policy.

It is the Company’s policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. The Company does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race inclusive of traits historically associated with race (including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles, such as braids, locks and twists), color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, national origin (including, in California, possession of a drivers license), ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, height or weight, medical condition, family care status, military or veteran status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, exercise of reproductive rights, any other basis protected by local, state, or federal laws, or any combination of the above characteristics. When necessary, the Company also makes reasonable accommodations for disabled candidates and employees, including for candidates or employees who are disabled by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.