Controls Engineer (Rolling Meadows)

About Spartanics

Spartanics designs and manufactures industrial equipment for precision laser converting, card counting, material handling, and custom automation. Our engineering strategy emphasizes modular product platforms, standardized controls, intuitive operator experiences, reliable performance, and efficient commissioning and lifecycle support.

Position Summary

The Controls Engineer is responsible for the controls architecture, software, electrical integration, testing, and commissioning of Spartanics industrial machinery. The role owns assigned controls work from requirements and system design through programming, machine startup, customer acceptance, and lifecycle support. B&R is Spartanics’ preferred automation platform, and Beckhoff experience is also valued. The successful candidate will help develop modular, reusable controls solutions that improve performance, reliability, diagnostics, serviceability, and speed to market.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Define controls requirements and develop control-system architectures for Spartanics industrial machinery, with B&R serving as the preferred automation platform.

• Develop, test, document, and maintain PLC, HMI, motion-control, and safety applications using structured, modular, reusable, and maintainable software practices.

• Create configurable software modules, standard libraries, hardware templates, diagnostics, naming conventions, and release processes that support scalable machine platforms.

• Program and integrate servo motion, multi-axis coordination, registration, encoders, distributed I/O, sensors, VFDs, pneumatics, temperature controls, and other machine devices.

• Integrate industrial laser sources, galvanometer-based scan systems, machine vision, web-handling functions, extraction systems, and related equipment interfaces when required.

• Develop or review electrical schematics, panel requirements, I/O lists, network architecture, controls bills of material, device specifications, and system documentation.

• Implement machine-safety functions, safety circuits, guarding interfaces, and laser-safety interlocks in collaboration with Mechanical Engineering and applicable risk assessments.

• Develop clear HMI workflows, alarms, diagnostics, logging, maintenance functions, and recovery procedures that improve usability and reduce troubleshooting and service time.

• Perform software reviews, bench testing, simulation, machine startup, debugging, factory acceptance testing, installation, commissioning, and customer acceptance support.

• Troubleshoot controls, electrical, motion, network, and sequencing issues; complete root-cause analysis, corrective action, and standards updates to prevent recurrence.

• Maintain source files, version control, software releases, backups, change documentation, and machine configurations throughout the equipment lifecycle.

• Provide technical support and training, and value-engineer controls hardware and software to improve standardization, performance, maintainability, cost, availability, and supply-chain resilience.

Measures of Success

• Reliable, maintainable machine-control applications that support on-time startup, testing, and customer acceptance.

• Greater reuse of controls software, hardware templates, diagnostics, and standards across product platforms.

• Reduced commissioning, troubleshooting, and service time through disciplined architecture, testing, documentation, and change control.

• Effective integration of motion, safety, HMI, networking, laser or peripheral systems, with issues resolved and lessons incorporated into future designs.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a closely related discipline; an equivalent combination of directly relevant education and experience may be considered.

• Three to five years of experience developing controls for industrial machinery, OEM capital equipment, custom automation, or related high-performance systems.

• Hands-on experience programming PLCs, HMIs, servo-motion systems, distributed I/O, industrial networks, and complete machine sequences.

• Proficiency with IEC 61131-3 programming practices, particularly Structured Text, and the ability to write organized, maintainable, well-documented machine software.

• Ability to work effectively in B&R Automation Studio. Direct B&R experience is strongly preferred; candidates with advanced experience on comparable modern platforms and the ability to transition quickly will be considered.

• Ability to read, develop, and troubleshoot electrical schematics, control panels, I/O systems, field wiring, safety circuits, and industrial communications.

• Experience commissioning machinery and diagnosing software, electrical, motion, sensor, network, and sequence-related issues in a manufacturing environment.

• Project ownership, disciplined troubleshooting, clear communication, and the ability and willingness to travel approximately 15-25% for installation, commissioning, training, and customer support.

• Experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Great Plains, or another manufacturing ERP/MRP platform

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced experience with B&R Automation Studio and the B&R control, HMI, motion, safety, and industrial-networking ecosystem.

• Experience with Beckhoff TwinCAT, EtherCAT, or Beckhoff-based machine-control architectures.

• Experience integrating industrial laser sources and galvanometer-based scan systems, including handshakes, safety interlocks, synchronization, execution control, and diagnostics.

• Experience with high-speed servo motion, electronic gearing or camming, registration, web handling, tension control, or converting equipment.

• Experience integrating machine-vision systems, robotics, data acquisition, remote diagnostics, OPC UA, SQL, or manufacturing-data interfaces.

• Experience with EPLAN, AutoCAD Electrical, source control, structured software-development practices, automated testing, or formal release and change management.

• Knowledge of NFPA 79, UL 508A, ISO 13849, IEC 62061, CE requirements, functional safety, or formal machine risk assessment.

• Familiarity with Lean manufacturing principles, Kaizen, and 5S, with an understanding of how continuous improvement practices can be applied to machine design, engineering standardization, manufacturability, assembly, testing, and troubleshooting.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment

• Work is performed in both an office engineering environment and an active manufacturing/assembly setting. Regular computer and programming-software use is required, along with periodic standing, walking, bending, reaching, climbing, access to control panels, and work around operating equipment. The position may occasionally require lifting or moving items up to approximately 30 pounds, use of required electrical, machine, and laser-safety procedures and personal protective equipment, and domestic or international travel of approximately 15-25%, with or without reasonable accommodation.