Manufacturing Controls Engineer

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

Automation & Controls Development

• Design, program, and troubleshoot PLC-based control systems for automated manufacturing equipment.

• Develop and maintain control logic using platforms such as Rockwell (Allen Bradley), Siemens, or similar PLC systems.

• Configure HMI / SCADA systems for machine monitoring, diagnostics, and operator interface.

• Develop and maintain automated production data collection, reporting, and diagnostic tools to support manufacturing performance.

• Support manufacturing execution systems (MES), production traceability, and automation interfaces between PLCs and enterprise systems.

• Integrate, troubleshoot, and optimize robotics, vision systems, and automated material handling equipment for high-volume production environments.

Equipment Integration & Commissioning

• Lead controls design, installation, and commissioning of new manufacturing equipment.

• Collaborate with equipment vendors and integrators during factory acceptance testing (FAT) and site acceptance testing (SAT).

• Develop controls standards and documentation for plant automation systems.

Manufacturing Support

• Provide technical troubleshooting support for production equipment downtime related to controls, sensors, drives, vision, PLC, robotics, and automation.

• Work closely with maintenance and production teams to diagnose, resolve, and improve automation system performance. 

• Optimize control strategies to improve cycle time, reliability, and equipment uptime.

Safety & Compliance

• Design and validate machine safety systems including safety PLCs, interlocks, emergency stops, and safeguarding systems.

• Ensure equipment complies with OSHA, NFPA, and relevant machine safety standards.

• Support high-voltage and lithium-ion manufacturing safety requirements.

Process Optimization

• Analyze equipment performance data to identify automation improvements and efficiency gains.

• Implement process automation improvements to increase throughput and reduce scrap.

• Support continuous improvement initiatives and plant automation roadmaps.

• Lead root cause investigations for automation-related production issues and implement sustainable corrective actions.

Documentation & Standards

• Support, maintain, and enforce plant automation standards including programming architecture, documentation, naming conventions, and commissioning procedures

• Maintain detailed documentation including:

• PLC/HMI code change management revisions

• Open issues management

• Automation standardization

• Electrical schematics redlines

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Software Engineering, Mechatronics, or Automation Engineering

Experience

• 5+ years of controls engineering experience in a manufacturing environment
• Experience supporting automated production lines or industrial equipment
• Experience with PLC programming, Robotics, and industrial automation systems

Technical Skills:

• PLC programming

• Allen Bradley (Studio 5000 / RSLogix)

• Siemens (TIA Portal)

• HMI/SCADA systems

• Industrial networking (Ethernet/IP, Profinet, IO-link, Modbus, OPC)

• Servo systems and VFD drives

• Robotics integration (Fanuc, ABB, Kuka, or similar)

• Machine vision systems (Keyence, Cognex)

• Electrical schematics and panel design

• Industrial sensors and instrumentation

Preferred Experience

• EV battery, Automotive, Lithium-ion, Semiconductor, or High-tech manufacturing

• Dry-room or clean-room manufacturing environments

• High-speed automated production lines
• Safety PLCs and machine safety standards (ISO 13849 / NFPA)
• Automation troubleshooting and problem solving
• Systems integration and commissioning
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Continuous improvement mindset
• Strong technical documentation skills
• Ability to support a fast-paced manufacturing environment