Job Description
Senior Automation Controls Engineer
Pay: $80,000–$120,000 based on experience + overtime pay
Location: Westbrook, Maine
Position Overview
Join an employee-owned automation company designing and building custom automation equipment for the medical, defense, electronics, and other advanced manufacturing industries.
This is a hands-on role for an experienced Controls Engineer who enjoys owning projects from PLC programming and system integration through machine commissioning and customer acceptance testing.
What You’ll Do
- Program PLCs using ladder logic and develop HMIs for custom automation equipment
- Integrate robots, vision systems, sensors, servo drives, and motion control systems
- Test machine sequences and troubleshoot electrical and control system issues
- Work with mechanical, electrical, and design teams throughout machine builds
- Travel to customer sites for commissioning, acceptance testing, system updates, and troubleshooting
- Read electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and technical documentation
- Support technicians during machine builds, debugging, and testing
- Maintain technical documentation, calibration records, and machine manuals
- Contribute to continuous improvement and ISO procedures
What We’re Looking For
- 5+ years of hands-on controls programming or industrial automation experience
- Strong PLC programming skills; ladder logic required
- HMI/SCADA development experience
- Experience with industrial robots, vision systems, and servo/motion control
- Knowledge of industrial networks such as Ethernet/IP, Modbus, ProfiNet, DeviceNet, or IO-Link
- Ability to troubleshoot complex systems independently
- Ability to read electrical schematics and understand basic pneumatic systems
- Associate degree in Electrical Engineering Technology, Mechatronics, or a related field, or equivalent experience
- Bachelor’s degree preferred
Preferred Experience
- Rockwell PanelView or FactoryTalk Optix
- Cognex or Keyence vision systems
- Structured Text or Function Block programming
- 6-axis, SCARA, or Cartesian robots
Compensation & Perks
- $80K–$120K annual pay, based on experience
- Hourly, overtime-eligible position — earn extra pay for additional hours
- Paid travel time at your hourly rate
- Additional travel incentive
- Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
- 401(k) with company match
- Medical, dental, and life insurance
- Short- and long-term disability coverage
- Paid time off and paid holidays
- Paid parental leave
- Tuition reimbursement
Why Consider This Role?
- Work on fully custom automation systems — no two machines are the same
- Support advanced industries, including medical, defense, and electronics
- Own projects from programming through commissioning
- Work with experienced, collaborative engineering and technical teams
- Gain exposure to complex robotics, vision, and motion control applications
- Join an employee-owned company where employees share in its success
- Travel internationally and domestically as projects require, with travel compensation
Numbers & Facts
| Location | Westbrook, ME |
| Industry | Staffing/Employment Agencies |
| Salary | $80,000–$120,000 Per Year |
| Company Size | 500 to 999 employees |
| Year Founded | 1969 |
| Website | http://www.sterling-engineering.com |
About Company
Sterling Engineering has been a trusted partner for engineering, project management, and staffing solutions for over five decades. We provide exceptional engineering/technical recruitment and engineering project services to clients nationwide:
- Engineering & Technical Recruitment - With our focus on engineering, technical, and IT, Sterling has the in-depth knowledge, industry expertise, and robust employee pipeline it takes to rapidly find talent for even the most difficult to fill positions. Sterling’s extensive recruitment methodology allows us to engage the most talented employees in the marketplace. We offer exciting work and career-building opportunities for our candidates, along with expert support at every step of the process.
- Engineering Project Services – Our experienced, multi-disciplined team of project managers, engineers, and designers, led by licensed Professional Engineers (PE), provide project management, engineering, design, and Commissioning, Qualification, and Validation (CQV) to manufacturing, OEM, and R&D customers. We work on complex, highly technical projects across a number of industry sectors, and our ability to scale and seamlessly integrate at multiple levels of your organization is what differentiates us.
Sterling offers a unique combination of engineering solutions and Best of Staffing level service to help our clients and talent achieve their goals.
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