Industrial Controls Technician

Industrial Controls Technician

Location: Buffalo Grove, IL

Employment Type: Direct Hire

Shift:1st

Compensation:40-45/hr.

Position Overview

Sterling Engineering is seeking an experienced Industrial Controls Technician to support a highly automated manufacturing operation in Buffalo Grove, IL.

This position is ideal for a technically strong, hands-on controls professional who enjoys troubleshooting complex automated manufacturing equipment and resolving PLC, HMI, and industrial control system issues.

While titled Industrial Controls Technician, this role requires a level of technical expertise comparable to a junior Controls Engineer. The successful candidate will have extensive experience diagnosing and resolving controls-related problems in a manufacturing environment, with particular emphasis on PLC troubleshooting, Cognex vision systems, HMI interfaces, and industrial automation.

Key Responsibilities

- Perform advanced troubleshooting, diagnostics, and repair of PLC-controlled automated manufacturing equipment to minimize production downtime.

- Troubleshoot PLC logic, I/O, communication faults, and control system issues to identify and resolve equipment failures.

- Diagnose and troubleshoot HMI systems, operator interfaces, RFID systems, and related industrial communication devices.

- Troubleshoot, maintain, and support Cognex vision inspection systems, including cameras, sensors, and associated software.

- Perform troubleshooting and maintenance of servo motors, servo drives, variable frequency drives (VFDs), and motion control systems.

- Support PLC and HMI software modifications, upgrades, and functional verification activities.

- Diagnose industrial networking and communication issues between PLCs, HMIs, sensors, drives, and automated equipment.

- Read and interpret electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, PLC programs, and technical documentation.

- Partner with engineering, maintenance, and production teams to identify root causes of recurring equipment failures and implement corrective actions.

- Provide hands-on technical support for complex automated production lines during night shift operations.

- Assist with equipment upgrades, automation improvements, and qualification activities.

- Document troubleshooting activities, repairs, and system modifications in accordance with manufacturing and quality requirements.

- Provide technical guidance and support to maintenance and automation technicians when resolving complex controls issues.

- Maintain compliance with established safety procedures, including electrical safety and equipment troubleshooting protocols.

Required Qualifications

- **Strong hands-on experience troubleshooting PLC-controlled equipment in an industrial manufacturing environment.

- Approximately 6+ years of industrial controls, automation, or related technical troubleshooting experience preferred.

- Demonstrated ability to diagnose PLC faults, troubleshoot ladder logic, and resolve controls-related production issues.

- Experience troubleshooting HMI systems, operator interfaces, and industrial communication devices.

- Experience working with Cognex vision systems or similar industrial machine vision technologies.

- Working knowledge of servo drives, VFDs, motion control, sensors, and industrial automation equipment.

- Ability to interpret electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and PLC logic.

- Experience supporting high-volume or highly automated manufacturing operations.

- Strong analytical troubleshooting skills and the ability to work independently during off-shift production.

- Associate degree, military technical training, or vocational training in Industrial Controls, Automation, Electrical Technology, or a related discipline preferred.

Preferred Qualifications

- Experience with Allen-Bradley/Rockwell PLC platforms, including RSLogix, Studio 5000/Logix Designer, and FactoryTalk.

- Experience with Siemens S7 PLC systems.

- Experience with Cognex In-Sight vision systems and associated software.

- Familiarity with Ignition or similar industrial HMI/SCADA platforms.

- Experience troubleshooting RFID devices, industrial networks, and automated inspection equipment.

- Background in medical device manufacturing, regulated manufacturing, or other high-volume automated production environments.

- Experience performing PLC/HMI software modifications and supporting automation upgrades.

- Experience supporting equipment qualification, root cause analysis, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Compensation & Benefits

- Competitive hourly compensation up to the low $50s/hr, depending on experience.

- Additional night shift differential.

- Direct-hire employment.

- Medical, dental, and vision insurance.

- 401(k) with company matching.

- Paid vacation and sick time.

- Life insurance and short-term/long-term disability coverage.

- Tuition reimbursement.