Controls Engineer

Senior Controls Engineer

Lead Automation Strategy. Solve Complex Controls Challenges. Improve Manufacturing Performance.

Diversified Personnel Services (DPS) is recruiting for a Senior Controls Engineer to serve as the senior technical resource for industrial controls and automation. This position will design, program, integrate, troubleshoot, and optimize highly automated manufacturing and packaging systems.

This is an opportunity for an experienced controls professional who enjoys solving complex technical problems, leading major automation projects, and developing long-term solutions—not simply responding to the same equipment failures repeatedly. You will have significant ownership of controls standards, modernization strategies, system reliability, and the overall performance of the organization's automation systems.

What You'll Do

Controls and Automation

• Design, program, modify, troubleshoot, and optimize PLC, HMI, robotics, motion-control, and automated machine systems.
• Serve as the senior technical resource for complex controls issues involving multiple interconnected machines and technologies.
• Troubleshoot integrated production-line functions, including machine handshakes, permissives, interlocks, sequencing, accumulation, fault handling, and restart or recovery logic.
• Support automated packaging and material-handling equipment, including conveyors, palletizers, wrappers, lifts, infeed and outfeed systems, sealers, bundlers, printing, coding, and labeling systems.
• Integrate and troubleshoot robotics, drives, servo and linear-motion systems, sensors, distributed I/O, electro-pneumatic systems, vision systems, and industrial networks.
• Design, troubleshoot, and maintain machine-safety control systems in accordance with company, OSHA, NFPA, and applicable industry standards.
• Support SCADA, MES, Historian, SQL, and manufacturing data-collection systems where applicable.

Reliability and Continuous Improvement

• Lead root cause analysis for recurring or high-impact automation failures and implement permanent corrective actions.
• Improve equipment uptime, reliability, throughput, quality, safety, mean time between failures (MTBF), and mean time to repair (MTTR).
• Establish and maintain plant-wide controls architecture, programming standards, documentation requirements, and automation best practices.
• Maintain reliable program backups, change records, recovery plans, and current controls documentation.
• Identify obsolete or unsupported controls equipment and develop modernization, standardization, and critical-spare recommendations.
• Develop solutions that improve the long-term reliability, maintainability, supportability, and performance of automation systems.

Project Leadership

• Lead automation projects from concept and design through installation, commissioning, startup, validation, and production handoff.
• Review controls designs from equipment manufacturers, vendors, and system integrators.
• Ensure new equipment meets plant electrical, controls, networking, safety, programming, and documentation standards.
• Provide technical direction during major equipment failures, production interruptions, installations, and system upgrades.
• Collaborate with Maintenance, Engineering, Production, Operations, IT, Safety, Quality, equipment manufacturers, vendors, and system integrators.
• Mentor controls engineers, technicians, electricians, and maintenance personnel in controls troubleshooting and automation best practices.

What You'll Bring

• Eight or more years of progressive experience in industrial controls, automation, electrical controls, or a related field.
• Advanced experience programming and troubleshooting PLC and HMI systems.
• Strong knowledge of industrial automation, robotics, motion control, electrical controls, machine safety, and industrial networking.
• Experience troubleshooting complex automated manufacturing or packaging systems.
• Experience integrating multiple automated machines into coordinated production systems.
• Demonstrated success leading controls or automation projects.
• Ability to independently diagnose complex controls problems and make sound engineering decisions.
• Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, control drawings, network diagrams, and technical documentation.
• Strong analytical, root-cause troubleshooting, communication, and organizational skills.
• Ability to remain effective during major production interruptions and other time-sensitive situations.

A bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Automation, Mechatronics, Engineering Technology, or a related field is preferred. Equivalent advanced controls experience and demonstrated technical expertise may be considered.

Preferred Technical Experience

Experience with the following technologies is preferred:

• Allen-Bradley ControlLogix, CompactLogix, Studio 5000, PanelView, and FactoryTalk
• Siemens PLCs and TIA Portal
• FANUC, ABB, Universal Robots, or similar industrial robotics
• Kinetix, PowerFlex, LinMot, SEW-Eurodrive, or similar motion-control platforms
• EtherNet/IP, managed industrial Ethernet, distributed I/O, IO-Link, Modbus TCP, PROFINET, or OPC UA
• GuardLogix, Pilz, safety relays, light curtains, interlocks, and other machine-safety technologies
• Keyence, Cognex, SICK, Banner, Balluff, Turck, or similar sensing and vision systems
• Festo, SMC, or similar electro-pneumatic systems
• Ignition, FactoryTalk, Wonderware, Historian, SQL, MES, or similar manufacturing data systems
• AutoCAD Electrical or equivalent electrical-design software

Expertise in every listed platform is not required.

Work Environment and Schedule

• Work is performed in both office and manufacturing-floor environments.
• The position regularly works around automated machinery, electrical systems, conveyors, robotics, noise, and other industrial equipment.
• The engineer must be able to safely access production equipment and control systems for troubleshooting, commissioning, and project work.
• Participation in on-call support may be required.
• Occasional off-shift or weekend work may be necessary during significant production interruptions, equipment startups, or project installations.
• Required personal protective equipment and established safety procedures must be followed at all times.

Qualifications

Education

Preferred Bachelors or better in Automatic Control Systems or related field.

Equal Opportunity Employer This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.