Automation Engineer

Job Description

Job description

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Position: Electrical Controls Engineer II / Automation Engineer

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Supervisor: Director of Global Accounts

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Location: Libertyville, IL

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Description: The Electrical Controls Engineer II - Global Accounts supports complex industrial water treatment projects by designing, programming, building, testing, and troubleshooting electrical controls systems. This role blends engineering design with hands-on shop-floor and field support, including BMS, BACnet, MODBUS, PLC and HMI programming, control panel design, power distribution, system wiring, prototype builds, FAT/QTP support, startup, commissioning, and customer troubleshooting. The ideal candidate has strong industrial controls experience, practical panel build skills, and the ability to read P&IDs, electrical schematics, mechanical drawings, sequence narratives, and customer specifications. This position works closely with NAM, LATAM & EMEA engineering, manufacturing, quality, project management, field service, vendors, and customers to deliver reliable, manufacturable, and supportable controls solutions. Success requires strong troubleshooting, communication, documentation, and collaboration skills, along with a willingness to travel approximately 20-25% to support installations, startups, testing, and field needs.

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Responsibilities:

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• Design, develop, and support electrical controls solutions for custom industrial water treatment systems and Global Accounts projects.
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• Create and maintain electrical schematics, panel layouts, I/O lists, load calculations, BOMs, redlines, and controls documentation.
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• Program PLCs and HMIs using P&IDs, sequence narratives, customer specifications, equipment standards, and process requirements.
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• Select PLC hardware, instrumentation, control components, enclosures, power distribution equipment, and industrial communication devices.
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• Support panel builds, system wiring, prototype development, shop-floor troubleshooting, manufacturing questions, and production readiness.
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• Participate in FAT, QTP, startup, commissioning, punch-list closure, and field troubleshooting activities as needed.
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• Troubleshoot PLC, HMI, instrumentation, communications, controls, wiring, and integration issues in factory and customer-site environments.
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• Collaborate with engineering, manufacturing, quality, project management, field service, vendors, and customers to resolve technical issues.
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• Perform additional responsibilities beyond this description as business needs require.
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Requirements:

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• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, controls engineering, automation engineering, or related technical field preferred; equivalent industrial controls experience may be considered.
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• Minimum 3 years of industrial controls experience, including PLC programming, HMI development, control panel design, and power distribution panel design.
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• Proficiency with Allen-Bradley and Siemens PLC platforms, HMI screen development, industrial networking, BMS integration, and common communication protocols.
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• Excellent customer-facing communication and polished presentation skills.
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• Ability to create and interpret P&IDs, sequence narratives, equipment specifications, electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, panel layouts, mechanical drawings, and customer technical standards.
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• Hands-on ability to support panel builds, system wiring, prototypes, shop-floor troubleshooting, FAT/QTP activities, startups, commissioning, field troubleshooting, and customer support.
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• Must be eligible to work in the US without sponsorship; must be able to work regularly in-office 4–5 days per week and travel up to 25% based on business, customer, startup, testing, and field support needs.
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• Hands-on ability and willingness to work on the shop floor, build panels, wire systems, support prototypes, troubleshoot equipment, and participate in system testing.
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Competencies: To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies in this position: Integrity, Team Player, Customer Focus, Initiative, Detail Oriented, Excellence, Analytical & Troubleshooting Skills, Oral & Written, Communication, Adaptability

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We offer competitive compensation including base & benefits including: Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, 401(k), Paid time off, Additional voluntary benefits