Sr. Automation Engineer
Join Vylor—Powering the Future of Agriculture
At Vylor, we’re advancing agriculture through breakthrough science—combining elite germplasm, cutting-edge biotech, and next-generation expertise in gene editing and molecular breeding. Our portfolio includes trusted industry brands like Pioneer®, Brevant®, and Hoegemeyer®, delivering performance farmers rely on.
Join us to help scale innovation globally and shape what’s next in crop science.
We are seeking a Senior Automation Engineer in the Des Moines metro area. The Senior Automation Engineer delivers software solutions for equipment designed by our engineering teams.
What You'll Do:
As a member of the Research Engineering team, you will have opportunities to do the following:
- Design and maintain software solutions in collaboration with a team of engineers on custom R&D equipment for various areas such as greenhouses, laboratories, seed processing facilities, and in-field equipment.
- Design and maintain C++ and C# software for controlling imaging systems.
- Design and optimize automation workflows, integrating hyperspectral imaging with robotic or industrial systems.
- Work on a cross-functional project team to meet customer requirements and expectations.
- Develop, test, document, and maintain software solutions driven by a seasonal schedule.
- Develop an understanding of field and lab equipment for R&D.
What You Need:
- 10+ years of experience in the industrial automation field.
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering (Agricultural, Biological, Mechanical, Software, or related discipline) or equivalent proven experience.
- Proficient in developing solutions in C++ or C# for the industrial automation field. [7 years of experience]
- Experience with industrial automation protocols (MQTT, MODBUS, EtherCAT etc).
- Ability to work safely around common shop equipment.
- A desire to do hands-on work directly with hardware and equipment for development and testing.
- Strong communication skills.
- Ability to work on projects from the specification to the deployment phases.
- Ability to work in the U.S. without restriction.
- Ability to work as a valued teammate, demonstrating respect for all people.
- Work legally and ethically.
The following skills would be a plus, but not required:
- Experience programming PLCs in Structured Text. (preferably Beckhoff). [7 years of experience]
- Experience developing solutions in Rust and Python
- Experience with EPSON robots (Epson RC+)
- Knowledge of design patterns and N-Tiered architecture.
- Desirable experience with CRUD database interaction.
- Understanding of synchronous programming concepts such as locking on shared resources, deadlock, and race conditions.
- Experience communicating with devices through: Serial communication: Modbus RTU, CAN protocol.Ethernet-based protocols: EtherCAT, PowerLink, EthernetIP, Modbus TCP.
- Experience delivering solutions within the agricultural industry.
Benefits – How We’ll Support You:
- Numerous development opportunities offered to build your skills
- Be part of a company with a higher purpose and contribute to making the world a better place
- Health benefits for you and your family on your first day of employment
- Four weeks of paid time off and two weeks of well-being pay per year, plus paid holidays
- Excellent parental leave which includes a minimum of 16 weeks for mother and father
- Future planning with our competitive retirement savings plan and tuition reimbursement program
- Learn more about our total rewards package here - Vylor Benefits
- Check out life at Vylor!
Are you a good match? Apply today! We seek applicants from all backgrounds to ensure we get the best, most creative talent on our team.