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Automation Engineer Jobs in Redding, CA (NOW HIRING)

Automation Manager

Redding, CA · On-site

$80K - $130K/yr

Automation programmers, project coordinator, and support staff assigned to the automation team Compensation: Salary starting range $80,000 - $130,000; Commensurate with Skills and Experience Hours ...

Automation Manager

Redding, CA · On-site

$80K - $130K/yr

Automation programmers, project coordinator, and support staff assigned to the automation team Compensation: Salary starting range $80,000 - $130,000; Commensurate with Skills and Experience Hours ...

Automation Programmer

Redding, CA · On-site

$30 - $60/hr

Automation Programmer Department : Systems Reports to : Automation Manager Compensation : Starting hourly range $30 - $60; Commensurate to Skills and Experience Hours : Full-time: Monday -Friday, 8 ...

Automation Programmer

Redding, CA · On-site

$30 - $60/hr

Automation Programmer Department : Systems Reports to : Automation Manager Compensation : Starting hourly range $30 - $60; Commensurate to Skills and Experience Hours : Full-time: Monday -Friday, 8 ...

Project Coordinator

Redding, CA · On-site

$20 - $32/hr

Preferred: experience supporting industrial, automation, engineering, manufacturing, construction, or other technical organizations. * Preferred: familiarity with procurement, project-management ...

Project Coordinator

Redding, CA · On-site

$20 - $32/hr

Preferred: experience supporting industrial, automation, engineering, manufacturing, construction, or other technical organizations. * Preferred: familiarity with procurement, project-management ...

Automation Engineer information

See Redding, CA salary details

$39.4K

$114K

$173.4K

How much do automation engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 1, 2026, the average yearly pay for automation engineer in Redding, CA is $113,975.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $92,000.00 and $131,400.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is an automation engineer?

Automation Engineers are professionals who design, develop, and implement automated systems and processes to improve efficiency, quality, and productivity in various industries. They work with technologies such as robotics, control systems, and software to automate repetitive or complex tasks. Their responsibilities often include programming, troubleshooting, and maintaining automation equipment, as well as collaborating with other engineers to optimize workflows. Automation Engineers are employed in sectors like manufacturing, IT, automotive, and pharmaceuticals.

What does an automation engineer do?

As an automation engineer, your job is to design and develop automated machines for your company. Your responsibilities may include determining the best way to implement automation, creating devices that meet the company's needs and specifications, testing robots to ensure they perform as designed, and monitoring existing automation to check if repair or replacement is needed. Many duties of this job vary by industry. For example, automation engineers work in areas like the automotive industry, food preparation and packaging, electronics production, and appliance production, and each of these fields has different materials and objectives. However, regardless of industry, most automation engineers work with both hardware and software.

What are some common challenges automation engineers face when integrating new systems into existing workflows?

Automation Engineers often encounter challenges when integrating new automation solutions with legacy systems, including compatibility issues and data migration complexities. Coordinating with cross-functional teams—such as IT, operations, and production—can require extensive communication to ensure seamless implementation. Additionally, balancing the need for system reliability with innovation and minimizing downtime during transitions are key concerns. Proactively addressing these challenges through thorough planning and testing helps ensure successful integration.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an automation engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Automation Engineer, you need a strong grasp of control systems, programming (such as PLC, Python, or C++), and a relevant engineering degree. Familiarity with automation platforms like Rockwell, Siemens, or SCADA systems, as well as certifications like ISA or relevant vendor-specific credentials, is highly valued. Analytical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication are essential soft skills for collaborating with diverse teams and troubleshooting complex issues. These skills and qualifications are critical for designing efficient automated solutions, minimizing downtime, and ensuring seamless integration of systems.

What is the difference between Automation Engineer vs Control Systems Engineer?

AspectAutomation EngineerControl Systems Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's in Engineering, certifications like PLC or SCADABachelor's in Electrical, Mechanical, or Systems Engineering, similar certifications
Work EnvironmentManufacturing, industrial plants, automation companiesIndustrial facilities, manufacturing, process control environments
Employer & Industry UsageTech firms, manufacturing, automation service providersIndustrial sectors, process industries, automation firms
Common Search & Comparison IntentYesYes

The main difference between Automation Engineers and Control Systems Engineers lies in their focus areas. Automation Engineers typically design and implement automated systems across various industries, emphasizing software and hardware integration. Control Systems Engineers concentrate on designing and maintaining control systems for industrial processes, often with a stronger emphasis on control theory and hardware. Both roles require similar qualifications and are often found working in manufacturing and industrial environments, but their specific responsibilities and focus areas differ.

What are the most commonly searched types of Automation Engineer jobs in Redding, CA?

The most popular types of Automation Engineer jobs in Redding, CA are:

What cities near Redding, CA are hiring for Automation Engineer jobs?

Cities near Redding, CA with the most Automation Engineer job openings:

Infographic showing various Automation Engineer job openings in Redding, CA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 75% In-person, and 25% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $113,975 per year, or $54.8 per hour.

$80K - $130K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 21 days ago


Job description

Position Title: Automation Team Manager
Department: PUMA Works
Reports to: Director of PUMA Works
Direct Reports: Automation programmers, project coordinator, and support staff assigned to the automation team
Compensation: Salary starting range $80,000 - $130,000; Commensurate with Skills and Experience
Hours: Full-time Monday - Friday, 8:30am - 5:00pm, 40 hours per week; plus on-call rotation
Benefits
  • Three weeks of paid vacation
  • Paid sick time
  • Eight & a half paid holidays per year
  • Two paid flexible holidays per year
  • ICHRA Health Insurance Reimbursement
  • 100% Employer Paid Dental & Vision Insurance
  • 100% Employer Paid Life Insurance
  • 100% Employer Paid Medical Clinic Membership or Cash Equivalent (for Field Staff) for employees and dependents
  • Other benefits accrue over the first 3-24 months, including: additional paid vacation, 401k with company matching, and quarterly profit share.

Place of Work: Tech Hub - Redding, CA.
Company Overview
Maas Energy Works (MEW) is the leading developer and operator of on-farm, waste-to-energy systems in the United States. The Company designs, develops, constructs, and operates biogas renewable energy generation systems, primarily on dairy farms. Our projects include anaerobic digesters, biogas-powered electric generation, and renewable natural gas upgrading.
Position Description
MEW is hiring an Automation Team Manager to lead the people and the workflow of our automation and programming team. This is a people-first leadership role. You will grow the careers of a team of PLC and SCADA programmers, balance their workloads, and keep programming tickets and projects moving to completion across a portfolio of digester and RNG facilities.
You will bring enough technical depth to sit in a troubleshooting conversation and contribute to solving the problem - but you will not set the team's technical direction. That responsibility belongs to the Technical Lead.
The ideal candidate has developed technical people before, holds a team accountable without micromanaging it, and takes satisfaction in removing obstacles so engineers can do their best work.
Scope of the Role - What This Role Owns and What It Does Not
This position pairs with a Technical Lead. Both roles report to the Director of PUMA Works as co-leads of the automation team. The division of responsibility is deliberate and explicit:
  • This role owns: people development, performance management, hiring, work assignment and loading, capacity planning, ticket and project throughput, scheduling, on-call rotation, timesheet and PTO approval, cross-department coordination, and escalation.
  • The Technical Lead owns: technical direction, architecture and platform decisions, programming standards and conventions, code and configuration review, and the technical approach taken on any given project or ticket.

The Automation Team Manager does not direct the team on technical strategy, override technical decisions, or serve as the final technical authority. When technical and delivery priorities conflict, the Manager and the Technical Lead resolve it together and escalate to the Director when they cannot.
Responsibilities
People Leadership and Development
  • Manage, coach, and develop a team of automation programmers
  • Hold consistent one-on-one meetings focused on growth, obstacles, and career direction
  • Build individual development plans and identify training, certification, and stretch-assignment opportunities for each team member
  • Write and deliver performance reviews; set clear expectations and address performance issues early and directly
  • Build a team culture that reflects MEW's values - trustworthy, effective, generous, fulfilled, innovative

Work Loading and Capacity
  • Assign programming tickets and project work across the team based on skill, development goals, and available capacity
  • Maintain a clear view of who is working on what, and rebalance when priorities shift
  • Forecast capacity against the incoming project pipeline and flag staffing gaps to the Director
  • Coordinate with Project Management, Operations, Engineering, and Construction to sequence automation work against site schedules and commissioning dates

Delivery and Ticket Flow
  • Own the health of the team's ticket queue in ClickUp - keep work visible, current, and moving
  • Run recurring stand-ups and work-review meetings; identify stalled tickets and clear the blockers behind them
  • Track project milestones and communicate status, risk, and schedule changes to stakeholders
  • Partner with the Technical Lead to confirm work is scoped and sized realistically before it is committed
  • Escalate resource conflicts, scope changes, and schedule risks to the Director early
  • Report on team throughput, backlog, and delivery performance

Administration and Operations
  • Review and approve timesheets, expenses, and PTO requests
  • Build and manage team scheduling, including site travel and the on-call rotation
  • Verify the team maintains program backups and site documentation to standard
  • Support process improvement in how the team intakes, tracks, and closes work
  • Contribute to team budget planning and software, hardware, and licensing needs

Technical Contribution
  • Participate in troubleshooting and problem-solving sessions, contributing practical judgment and experience
  • Perform automation and programming work where needed
  • Understand the team's work well enough to size it, assess progress honestly, and hold credible technical conversations with team members and stakeholders
  • Translate between technical staff and non-technical stakeholders across the company
  • Defer to the Technical Lead on technical direction, standards, and final technical decisions

Qualifications & Skills
Required
  • 3+ years managing or supervising technical staff - engineers, programmers, controls technicians, or a comparable team
  • Demonstrated record of developing people: coaching, performance conversations, career growth, and retention
  • Working technical background in industrial automation, controls, engineering, IT, or a closely related technical field - enough to follow the work, size it, and contribute in a troubleshooting discussion
  • Experience managing a work queue or project portfolio and driving it to completion
  • Strong organizational skills with the ability to track many parallel workstreams
  • Excellent written and verbal communication; can adapt the message for a programmer, an operations manager, and a dairy owner
  • Comfortable with task and project tracking systems (ClickUp or equivalent)
  • Sound judgment on when to decide, when to delegate, and when to escalate
  • Must be proficient in English.

Preferred
  • Hands-on experience with PLC programming (Allen-Bradley, Studio 5000) or SCADA/HMI platforms (Ignition, Aveva, Wonderware, C-more, Automation Direct)
  • Familiarity with industrial networking, VFDs, instrumentation, 4-20mA and 24V control, Modbus485, and Modbus TCP
  • Experience in renewable energy, agriculture, manufacturing, utilities, or another field-service environment
  • Background supporting geographically distributed sites and remote team members
  • Working knowledge of electrical systems and safe work practices

Other Duties
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive list of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
Physical Demand Requirements
Work Environment - Office Staff
This job partially operates in a professional office environment. The role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets, and fax machines.
Physical Demands - Office Staff / Travel
This is largely a sedentary role with some travel required. This would require the ability to walk up and down stairs, and to enter, travel in, and exit vehicles and airplanes. Travel is required occasionally to project sites and regional offices. Site visits may involve walking on uneven ground and exposure to outdoor conditions and operating equipment.