Lead CNC Controls Engineer

job summary:
Our client is seeking a Lead CNC Controls Engineer to serve as the site technical authority for industrial control systems across their aerospace manufacturing facility. As the first dedicated controls lead on their Manufacturing Automation & Development team, you will establish sitewide standards, author capital equipment specifications, direct external machine builders, and own controls architecture for high-rate flight hardware production.

This is a specialized machine tool technical authority role. We are specifically seeking engineers with direct experience in CNC motion trajectories and PLC-to-NC machine state logic (Siemens Sinumerik or FANUC PMC).

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location: Baltimore, Maryland
job type: Permanent
salary: $115,000 - 140,000 per year
work hours: 8am to 4pm
education: Bachelors

responsibilities:

• Write and optimize PLC state logic that handshakes directly with CNC controllers-managing Mode Groups (AUTO, MDI, JOG), M/S/T code handshakes, feed hold interlocks, channel overrides, and axis enable/inhibit logic.

• Develop, debug, and support control code natively in Siemens TIA Portal / Sinumerik (840D sl / ONE) or FANUC PMC Ladder III (G&F interface signals).

• Set the rules for our entire facility-defining controls architecture, machine safety standards (ISO 13849 / IEC 62061), platform priorities, tagging/naming conventions, and version control.

• Act as the ultimate technical authority for capital projects. Author controls Statements of Work (SOWs) and User Requirements Specifications (URS), review vendor electrical/controls designs, and lead Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT) and Site Acceptance Tests (SAT).

• Configure multi-axis robotic cells (FANUC, ABB, KUKA), coordinated robot-to-PLC/CNC interfaces, vision systems, and OT networks (Profinet, EtherNet/IP, EtherCAT, OPC-UA).

• Serve as the senior escalation point when critical machinery goes down, tracing root causes across software, electrical schematics, mechanical hardware, and NC motion paths simultaneously.

Qualifications:

• 5+ years of hands-on industrial controls engineering at a machine builder, systems integrator, or advanced automated manufacturing facility (BS in Electrical, Controls, or Mechatronics Engineering preferred; equivalent hands-on experience in machine tool controls will be considered).

• Proven experience programming the PLC/PMC layer that interfaces directly with an NC kernel (tool changers, Siemens interface DBs, FANUC G/F byte mapping, ASUBs, pallet changers).

• Direct programming fluency in Siemens TIA Portal / Sinumerik OR FANUC CNC / PMC Ladder III.

• Experience authoring controls specifications (SOW/URS) and leading FAT/SAT sign-offs with equipment vendors.

• Demonstrated technical and practical ability to trace faults across controls software, electrical panels, and mechanical hardware on complex automated machinery.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in aerospace, automated composite manufacturing (e.g., automated fiber placement, gantry milling), or automotive powertrain machining.

• HMI and SCADA development experience in WinCC, FactoryTalk, or Ignition platforms.

• Familiarity with data acquisition architecture, OPC-UA implementation, or machine-to-system communication in a production environment

Benefits & Rewards

• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage (effective Day 1)

• Immediate 401(k) vesting

• Permissive / flexible Paid Time Off (PTO)

• Educational assistance & life insurance

• Free onsite gym with weekly fitness classes

• Health Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)

qualifications:

• Experience level: Experienced
• Minimum 5 years of experience
• Education: Bachelors

 
skills:

• CNC
• PLC
• SCADA
• Capital Equipment
  
  
  Equal Opportunity Employer: Race, Color, Religion, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, National Origin, Age, Genetic Information, Disability, Protected Veteran Status, or any other legally protected group status.
  At Randstad, we welcome people of all abilities and want to ensure that our hiring and interview process meets the needs of all applicants. If you require a reasonable accommodation to make your application or interview experience a great one, please contact View email address on randstadusa.com.
  
  
  Pay offered to a successful candidate will be based on several factors including the candidate's education, work experience, work location, specific job duties, certifications, etc. In addition, Randstad offers a comprehensive benefits package, including: medical, prescription, dental, vision, AD&D, and life insurance offerings, short-term disability, and a 401K plan (all benefits are based on eligibility).
  
  
  This posting is open for thirty (30) days.