Controls Engineering Technician

Job Title: Controls Engineering Technician

Job Description

This role supports the Production Engineering Battery Department as a Controls Engineering Technician, focusing on machine setup, controls troubleshooting, and continuous improvement to increase equipment operational availability. The position plays a key role in planning and executing capital projects from concept through Start of Production, while supporting battery pack assembly equipment and production trials. The technician works closely with engineering and production teams to integrate new equipment into mass production, ensure safety compliance, and drive problem-solving at a regional level.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a North American machine setup specialist, supporting equipment installation, integration, and start-up for battery production lines.

• Increase operational availability of equipment through continuous improvement, technical troubleshooting, and proactive problem-solving.

• Test and repair electrical equipment and systems, including circuits, relay logic, wiring, motors, servo drives, and related components.

• Write, program, troubleshoot, modify, and repair programmable logic controllers (PLCs), robotics, cameras, and other electronic equipment.

• Troubleshoot and repair safety systems and machine components, including hydraulic and pneumatic systems.

• Plan and execute machine integration into mass production, including leveling, adjustment, and quality confirmation for assigned areas.

• Support production engineering battery and vehicle manufacturing engineering teams with battery pack assembly equipment.

• Perform basic administrative tasks, including documenting work performed through written and electronic methods.

• Participate in project planning with engineering teams and provide technical input on equipment and process readiness.

• Support machine production trials at vendor locations and internally, ensuring equipment meets performance and safety requirements.

• Certify the safety of equipment in accordance with applicable standards (such as NFPA79 and internal standards) via safety integrity checks.

• Identify and remove barriers that hinder project progress and navigate complex problem-solving at the regional level.

• Set appropriate work priorities, develop and execute schedules for assigned tasks, and report status to management.

• Continuously improve safety, quality, and detailed schedules for assigned work areas and projects.

• Demonstrate a strong commitment to respect for people and continuous improvement in daily activities.

• Learn new processes and technologies as needed to support evolving production and engineering requirements.

Essential Skills

• Industrial maintenance experience in a manufacturing environment or experience with equipment installation and debugging.

• Hands-on experience with electrical and/or mechanical systems in an industrial manufacturing setting.

• Technical experience in PLC programming, including reading, writing, and modifying logic.

• Experience with major PLC platforms such as Omron, Mitsubishi, Siemens, and Allen-Bradley.

• Strong ability to troubleshoot and repair PLCs, robotics, cameras, and other electronic equipment.

• Technical experience with servo motion controllers and servomotor systems.

• Technical experience with relay logic, including wiring, troubleshooting, and repair.

• Technical experience with robotics, including programming and troubleshooting (such as Kawasaki and FANUC robots).

• Experience troubleshooting hydraulic and pneumatic systems and reading related schematics.

• Ability to plan and execute machine integration into mass production environments.

• Ability to document work clearly using written and electronic methods.

• Strong problem-solving skills with a focus on continuous improvement in safety, quality, and scheduling.

• Ability to work overtime, holidays, weekends, and during production shutdowns as needed.

• Ability to travel for business, both domestically and internationally, up to approximately 30–50% depending on project needs.

• Self-motivation, perseverance, curiosity for learning, good communication skills, and humility.

• Ability to work flexibly with different teams and adapt to changing project requirements.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Technical associate degree or higher in a relevant field, or equivalent practical experience.

• Experience in pre-production setup and commissioning of equipment.

• Experience with production processes in an industrial or automotive environment.

• Approximately 3 or more years of technical experience working as a maintenance or controls technician.

• Experience certifying equipment safety in accordance with standards such as NFPA79 and internal safety requirements.

• Familiarity with automation and industrial maintenance best practices.

• Experience supporting battery or vehicle manufacturing equipment is a plus.

• Demonstrated ability to participate effectively in cross-functional project planning with engineering teams.

• Comfort working in long-term, project-based or contract environments with stable workloads.

• Alignment with leadership values centered on respect for people and continuous improvement.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Liberty, NC.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $35.00 - $65.00/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: • Medical, dental & vision • Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital • 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available • Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) • Short and long-term disability • Health Spending Account (HSA) • Transportation benefits • Employee Assistance Program • Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Liberty,NC.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Jul 20, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email View email address on click.appcast.io for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.