Senior Control & Automation Engineer
Matter.
Software Engineering
Bristol, UK
GBP 49,410-71,370 / year
Posted on Apr 24, 2026
Do you want to help build a company with the capacity to disrupt whole industries and take on environmental issues on a global scale?
Do you want to join a purpose-driven engineering team tackling some of the world’s most critical challenges?
Matter. is a VC backed Cleantech scale-up and has an opportunity for a Senior Control & Automation engineer to establish and lead internal capability across industrial control systems, instrumentation, and data-driven product development. This is a senior, hands-on engineering role, combining technical leadership with practical delivery. The role is based in Bristol, UK, with occasional travel to industrial customer sites for commissioning and support.
Job Title: Senior Control & Automation Engineer
Location: Central Bristol - hybrid
Salary Range: £49,410 - £71,370 per annum
Matter. are innovators in water filtration, developing pioneering filtration technology to capture microplastics and cut carbon emissions. You will be working on some of the biggest challenges of our time, removing micropollutants from the world’s waterways.
Through brilliant design thinking, powerful partners, and impatience to make what we do matter, our mission is to transform industries through technology that empowers customers and protects the planet.
We pride ourselves on our amazing technology and passion for wanting to change things, but fundamentally what we are most proud of is our people.
For us, people are everything. It’s what makes a company, not the mission written on the wall or the fancy building we work in. Our people represent us, our values and why we do what we do.
The Opportunity
In this role, you will play a key role in the development, delivery, and support of complex engineering systems. The role operates within a hybrid delivery model, where the engineer manages and directs external contractors and suppliers, while building and expanding internal capability.
From the outset, the expectation is to lead technical direction, own supplier engagement and outputs, and drive the transition toward greater in-house ownership. Over time, this balance will shift toward a strong internal capability, with external partners used in a targeted and scalable way.
This role sits at the intersection of internal engineering and external specialist suppliers, acting as the technical authority for industrial control systems.
You will coordinate and direct external contractors, inform and shape technical decisions with internal leadership and progressively build in-house capability.
Initially, you will focus on existing supplier-delivered control systems, supporting field deployments and establishing robust data acquisition and analysis to validate product performance, customer ROI, and enable predictive maintenance. Over time, you will take increasing ownership of control systems, architecture, supplier strategy, and next-generation product development.
Do you want to join a purpose-driven engineering team tackling some of the world’s most critical challenges?
Matter. is a VC backed Cleantech scale-up and has an opportunity for a Senior Control & Automation engineer to establish and lead internal capability across industrial control systems, instrumentation, and data-driven product development. This is a senior, hands-on engineering role, combining technical leadership with practical delivery. The role is based in Bristol, UK, with occasional travel to industrial customer sites for commissioning and support.
Job Title: Senior Control & Automation Engineer
Location: Central Bristol - hybrid
Salary Range: £49,410 - £71,370 per annum
Matter. are innovators in water filtration, developing pioneering filtration technology to capture microplastics and cut carbon emissions. You will be working on some of the biggest challenges of our time, removing micropollutants from the world’s waterways.
Through brilliant design thinking, powerful partners, and impatience to make what we do matter, our mission is to transform industries through technology that empowers customers and protects the planet.
We pride ourselves on our amazing technology and passion for wanting to change things, but fundamentally what we are most proud of is our people.
For us, people are everything. It’s what makes a company, not the mission written on the wall or the fancy building we work in. Our people represent us, our values and why we do what we do.
The Opportunity
In this role, you will play a key role in the development, delivery, and support of complex engineering systems. The role operates within a hybrid delivery model, where the engineer manages and directs external contractors and suppliers, while building and expanding internal capability.
From the outset, the expectation is to lead technical direction, own supplier engagement and outputs, and drive the transition toward greater in-house ownership. Over time, this balance will shift toward a strong internal capability, with external partners used in a targeted and scalable way.
This role sits at the intersection of internal engineering and external specialist suppliers, acting as the technical authority for industrial control systems.
You will coordinate and direct external contractors, inform and shape technical decisions with internal leadership and progressively build in-house capability.
Initially, you will focus on existing supplier-delivered control systems, supporting field deployments and establishing robust data acquisition and analysis to validate product performance, customer ROI, and enable predictive maintenance. Over time, you will take increasing ownership of control systems, architecture, supplier strategy, and next-generation product development.
- Application Deadline
- June 30, 2026
- Department
- Engineering
- Employment Type
- Permanent
- Location
- Bristol
- Workplace type
- Hybrid
- Compensation
- £49,410 - £71,370 / year
Key Responsibilities
Industrial Controls & Automation
- Lead development and evolution of industrial control system architectures for modular skid-based systems
- Own review and improvement of PLC control logic, safety requirements, and HMI systems
- Define of control philosophy, system behaviour, and fault handling strategies
- Undertake PLC programming for internal prototyping and development systems
- Lead fault finding and optimisation during commissioning, factory acceptance testing (FAT) and site installations
- Ensure effective integration of control systems with customer environments, including MES interfaces and site utilities
Hardware & Instrumentation
- Own specification and review of control system hardware (e.g. PLCs, I/O, instrumentation, comms, networks, motors, drives)
- Lead control panel concept design with suppliers
- Own instrumentation selection and sizing strategy (e.g. flow meters, pressure sensors, pumps, motors, drives)
- Ensure alignment between mechanical design, instrumentation, and control strategies
Data Acquisition & Performance
- Define and implement data acquisition strategies to support product validation, customer ROI and product reliability and predictive maintenance.
- Establish communications architecture for remote connectivity including security requirements to IEC 62443 standards.
- Extract and analyse operational data from systems (e.g. via PLCs or gateways).
- Conduct hands-on analysis (e.g. Excel, Python, or similar) to identify performance trends and issues.
- Develop dashboards and reporting tools (e.g. Grafana).
Supplier & Contractor Management
- Act as technical owner and interface for all controls and automation suppliers
- Define requirements, scope work, and lead design reviews
- Direct and challenge suppliers to improve quality, cost, and delivery
- Expand and optimise the supplier base
Product Development & Continuous Improvement
- Identify and drive technical improvements across control systems and instrumentation
- Lead value engineering and cost reduction
- Feed data-driven insights into product reliability, predictive maintenance, product evolution and next-generation systems
- Drive transition to standardised, scalable product architectures
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
Your essential experience
- 8 or more years experience in industrial automation, process control systems, or mechatronics engineering
- Practical experience with PLC-based control systems (e.g. Siemens, Allen-Bradley, Beckhoff, or similar)
- Experience writing, reviewing and modifying existing PLC code and control logic in IEC 61131-3, Codesys etc
- Knowledge of control system architecture and control philosophy development
- Hands-on experience with industrial systems, installations, or commissioning
- Strong understanding of industrial instrumentation and control (sensors, actuators, motors, drives, industry 4.0)
- Experience working with external suppliers or contractors in a technical capacity
- Ability to analyse operational data to support engineering decisions
- Comfortable working in a multidisciplinary team alongside mechanical engineers
- Experience with HMI or SCADA systems
- Experience with data analysis tools (e.g. Python, or similar) and dashboarding
- Familiarity with industrial communication protocols
- Experience specifying or reviewing control system hardware and panel designs
- Exposure to functional safety concepts and safe-state design
- Knowledge of industrial electrical systems (e.g. three-phase equipment)
Your desirable experience
- Experience in water treatment or similar industry
- Working in international locations with knowledge of regional electrical requirements and standards
- Application and requirements of control systems in external environments
- 18th Edition certified
Benefits
- Flexible working environment, with core hours of 09:30-16:00 and hybrid working available, based at our central Bristol HQ
- Annual Leave – 26 days + public holidays + entitlement will increase with length of service, 1 day for every year up to 32 days pa
- 1 extra day of leave to celebrate you on your birthday
- Ability to swap up to 3 Bank Holidays in a year for days of cultural or religious significance
- Enhanced family leave (maternity & paternity) - 13 weeks full pay (maternity) or 4 weeks full pay (paternity) - available for those who have worked continuously for 26 weeks by the end of the Qualifying Week
- Sick Pay - Short Term Sickness is full pay for 10 days in any 12-month rolling period / Long Term Sickness is full pay for any instance of a consecutive period of sickness longer than a week (7 consecutive days) up to 13 weeks.
- Pension scheme (Aviva) – 5% employer contribution
- Private Medical Insurance (BUPA) – you and your family (Level 1 cover)
- Medical Cash Plan (SimplyHealth) - you and your family (Level 1 cover)
- Critical Illness Cover (Zurich) - after 13 weeks of Illness 75% of wages paid up to 5 years
- Dental Plan (BUPA) – you and your family (Level 1 cover)
- Life Assurance (Zurich) - one-off payment of 2 times your annual salary to next of kin
- Virtual GP
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Onsite kitchen, dining, breakout areas & healthy snacks
- Monthly lunch clubs
- Regular team events and parties
- On-site parking for bicycles and cars
- Cycle to work scheme
- Ethical discounts through Lumina
- Training & Development support incl. 5% of contractual hours used for self-development
- Professional membership - one per year where relevant to role
The global mission to achieve cleaner water can’t wait, so neither should you! Apply today!
What to expect
After acknowledging your application, we will update you on the next stage of your hiring journey with Matter within 48 hrs.
At Matter, we believe that representation is crucial, and we are committed to creating a more inclusive organisation. We encourage applications from a diverse range of candidates, as we are dedicated to ensuring that everyone has a voice. We know that with increased diversity in our organisation, we can achieve even more.
What to expect
After acknowledging your application, we will update you on the next stage of your hiring journey with Matter within 48 hrs.
At Matter, we believe that representation is crucial, and we are committed to creating a more inclusive organisation. We encourage applications from a diverse range of candidates, as we are dedicated to ensuring that everyone has a voice. We know that with increased diversity in our organisation, we can achieve even more.
About Matter
Our Mission
Matter. is a microplastics capture technology company focused on sustainable design and circular economy. You will be working on some of the biggest challenges of our time; removing microplastics and micropollutants from the world’s waterways and airways.
Through brilliant design thinking, powerful partners, and an impatience to make what we do matter, our mission is to develop and scale products that are the hard line between the biological and technical cycle.
We pride ourselves on our amazing technology and passion for wanting to change things, but fundamentally what we are most proud of is our people.
For us, people are everything. It’s what makes a company, not the mission written on the wall or the fancy building we work in. Our people represent us, our values and why we do what we do.
We can only achieve our mission if we continue to create diverse and innovative teams that share our vision.
Human first and purpose driven
At Matter, we believe representation is crucial, and we are committed to creating an inclusive and equitable organisation, where EEDI is at the heart of our culture and informs everything that we do.
Our values help us live our purpose.
We harness the unique contributions of our people to give us our authenticity and edge. We value every idea and the human behind it. Our inclusive culture drives our ability to make an impact, and Matter only grows if our people grow.
The unique fabric of our culture is grounded in the way ‘we go together’ as a team, where our human-first mentality means we build real connections, get inspired by those around us and celebrate each other’s successes.
We encourage candidate applications from a diverse range of backgrounds and lived experiences, as we are dedicated to ensuring that everyone has a voice. We cannot do this without our strong commitment to equity, equality, diversity and inclusion.
We can only produce our best work when we build a workforce made up of talented people with a breadth of experiences, who can bring innovation and fresh perspectives and feel empowered to celebrate their differences within a safe and respectful environment.
Impact your career - how you will grow
Matter is where people embrace change and seize opportunities to advance their careers. By gaining exposure to a broad range of technologies, disciplines, projects and growth opportunities, our colleagues are able to develop their capability and amplify their ability to make an impact.
We offer you the opportunity to follow an existing passion or cultivate new ones. Develop your career in the direction you want to take it. Our human-centric managers will help you discover ways to fulfil your career goals, surface hidden talents, acquire new skills and unlock your potential.
With clearly defined and transparent career pathways, we are focused on helping you grow and advance your career, no Matter which path you choose. You just need enthusiasm and drive to get the most from your experience.
You will have our continued support and education as you develop within Matter, with regular manager-led 1-2-1’s and review meetings, along with giving you 5% of your working week to dedicate to your own personalised career development plan activities.
We provide ongoing leadership training to ensure both managers and their colleagues reporting to them are set up for success.
By recognising our colleagues’ contributions and celebrating their successes, we have built an environment where we can provide you with the opportunity to take the next meaningful step in your career journey.
Human first and purpose driven
At Matter, we believe representation is crucial, and we are committed to creating an inclusive and equitable organisation, where EEDI is at the heart of our culture and informs everything that we do.
Our values help us live our purpose.
We harness the unique contributions of our people to give us our authenticity and edge. We value every idea and the human behind it. Our inclusive culture drives our ability to make an impact, and Matter only grows if our people grow.
The unique fabric of our culture is grounded in the way ‘we go together’ as a team, where our human-first mentality means we build real connections, get inspired by those around us and celebrate each other’s successes.
We encourage candidate applications from a diverse range of backgrounds and lived experiences, as we are dedicated to ensuring that everyone has a voice. We cannot do this without our strong commitment to equity, equality, diversity and inclusion.
We can only produce our best work when we build a workforce made up of talented people with a breadth of experiences, who can bring innovation and fresh perspectives and feel empowered to celebrate their differences within a safe and respectful environment.
Impact your career - how you will grow
Matter is where people embrace change and seize opportunities to advance their careers. By gaining exposure to a broad range of technologies, disciplines, projects and growth opportunities, our colleagues are able to develop their capability and amplify their ability to make an impact.
We offer you the opportunity to follow an existing passion or cultivate new ones. Develop your career in the direction you want to take it. Our human-centric managers will help you discover ways to fulfil your career goals, surface hidden talents, acquire new skills and unlock your potential.
With clearly defined and transparent career pathways, we are focused on helping you grow and advance your career, no Matter which path you choose. You just need enthusiasm and drive to get the most from your experience.
You will have our continued support and education as you develop within Matter, with regular manager-led 1-2-1’s and review meetings, along with giving you 5% of your working week to dedicate to your own personalised career development plan activities.
We provide ongoing leadership training to ensure both managers and their colleagues reporting to them are set up for success.
By recognising our colleagues’ contributions and celebrating their successes, we have built an environment where we can provide you with the opportunity to take the next meaningful step in your career journey.
Our Hiring Process
Stage 1:
First Interview
Stage 2:
Second Interview
Stage 3:
Third Interview
Stage 4:
Hired
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