Industrial Controls Troubleshooting Specialist (PLC & Drives)

Job Description

Job Description

Step Into a Day in Waco, GA

It’s a busy morning inside a large industrial manufacturing facility in Waco, GA. A production line pauses, and you’re on it. Laptop in hand, you connect via Ethernet (or wireless when needed), open the existing PLC program, and start tracing the logic to find the fault. Most of the time you’re working in Siemens (about 80% of the plant), though Allen‑Bradley shows up, too. You’re not programming from scratch—you’re diagnosing, verifying, and, when appropriate, making small logic tweaks to get equipment back online, fast.

Your day revolves around electrical systems, control circuits, PLC-driven machinery, and VFDs. When a drive fails, you swap it, download the correct parameters, configure it, and confirm performance. Mechanical issues? Those go to dedicated mechanical technicians, freeing you to focus 100% on electrical and controls.

• Respond to electrical and controls-related breakdowns across the facility and restore uptime.
• Connect to PLCs via Ethernet or wireless to interrogate existing programs.
• Troubleshoot Siemens and Allen‑Bradley PLCs (with Siemens used in ~80% of the plant).
• Review PLC logic to pinpoint root causes and confirm corrective actions.
• Diagnose and repair control circuits.
• Troubleshoot, replace, and configure drives/VFDs as needed.
• Make minor PLC logic changes when necessary to resolve issues.
• Coordinate with the shift supervisor to prioritize breakdown calls and open work orders.
• Independently troubleshoot assigned equipment and follow through on work orders.
• Collaborate closely with the maintenance team to keep production equipment running efficiently.

Note: This role is fully electrical/PLC-focused; mechanical maintenance is handled by a separate team.

• Experience as an Electrical Technician, Controls Technician, or similar industrial maintenance role.
• Background working in an industrial manufacturing environment.
• Hands-on experience troubleshooting PLC-controlled equipment.
• Ability to connect to and navigate Siemens and/or Allen‑Bradley PLCs.
• Comfort reading and understanding PLC logic for troubleshooting.
• Proficiency diagnosing electrical/control circuits.
• Experience with drives/VFDs, including replacements and configuration.
• Confidence working independently on equipment breakdowns.
• Strong problem-solving skills with a focus on root-cause identification.