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