Manufacturing Controls Engineer

Our Next Energy
Our Next Energy

Other Engineering

Novi, MI, USA

Posted on Jul 24, 2026

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