Senior Automation Engineer

Location:

Los Angeles, CA

Salary:

$165k-$200k + Equity

About Framework

Framework is building fully automated apparel manufacturing facilities in the United States. Using software and robotics, we aim to match then beat Asian production costs while slashing lead‑times and inventory holding costs for apparel brands.

Once‑in‑a‑career build — we’re designing the first truly software‑defined apparel factory in the United States. Expect green‑field ownership, a factory floor as your living lab, and permission to invent new patterns.

Long‑run stability without big‑co bureaucracy — Backed by tier 1 investors, we’re funded with years of runway and have brand partners lined up.

Why Build it Now? It all comes down to Cost Physics, which we wrote about here. The four forces of manufacturing—raw materials, energy, CapEx, and labor—have hit a once in a generation crossover point:

Machine intelligence + dexterity has collapsed labor to <10% of a garment’s cost at scale
America has abundant cotton and energy, we’re the largest exporter of cotton on earth with the lowest average industrial energy cost in the world
Supply‑chain risk and inventory waste have inverted the Asian production advantages: months‑long lead‑times and tariff exposure are now more expensive than automated local production

Put together, these shifts create a window to do what was “impossible” for the last 50 years—manufacture apparel in the U.S. and win on cost. We’re seizing that window; if this sounds like your kind of once‑in‑a‑generation build, let’s talk.

The Opportunity

You’ll help build the first generation of automated cells and lines that power Framework’s factory.
Work side-by-side with a Manufacturing Engineers and Robotics Engineers to turn process flows and paper layouts into running automation on the floor.

Experience

3+ years factory-floor automation with commissioning on live lines for high mix
Technician or Manufacturing Engineering background (e.g., programming ABB welding) evolving into systems engineering and factory planning
Scaled operations from prototype to full production; roadmap for MES/ERP integration

Technical Skills

Experience with NVIDIA Isaac Sim, physics-based validation, scenario testing, and digital twin concepts
Comfortable with video/computer-vision workflows; can translate simulated insights into on-floor changes
CAD/CAM, fixture/jig design, material flow optimization and operation simulation
PLCs (Allen-Bradley, Siemens), servo drives, safety systems; sensor-to-PLC wiring, I/O mapping, and troubleshooting
ABB or equivalent ecosystem integration (e.g., RobotStudio) for robotic control/orchestration; ROS familiarity is secondary to Isaac Sim

Key Knowledge Areas

OEE monitoring and improvement with simulation-backed what-if analysis and predictive modeling
Redundancy and backup strategies (failover, UPS, fault tolerance) validated through Isaac Sim scenarios; version control and disaster recovery for PLC/robot programs
Fabrication-aware automation (machining, welding, assembly) with digital twin alignment to real-world constraints
Data plumbing from cell to enterprise (OPC UA, MES, MQTT, Influx, Grafana) and maintaining model-to-plant fidelity over time

Notes

NVIDIA expertise need not be deep on day one; strong aptitude for simulation/video tooling and rapid learning is key
Hands-on prototyper with strong mechanical instincts preferred over pure simulation specialists
Experience with traceability, changeover strategy, maintenance readiness, and spares planning
Industrial networking, IIoT data pipelines, cybersecurity for OT

Why Framework

Mission with impact. Reshore manufacturing, shrink supply chains, and change how apparel is made.
True ownership. You report directly to the founder, steer the technical roadmap, and shape the culture.
Tangible output. See your code move robots and create apparel in minutes.

Apply

contact[at]framework.co