Entry-Level Controls Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Symbrium, Inc. is seeking an entry-level Controls Engineer to join our engineering team. This position is ideal for a recent engineering graduate or early-career engineer who enjoys working with machinery, automation, instrumentation, and control systems and wants to gain broad hands-on experience developing custom laboratory and industrial equipment.

Symbrium designs and builds highly engineered custom test systems, manufacturing equipment, and automation systems for aerospace, defense, industrial, and research customers. Most of our projects are one-of-a-kind systems rather than repetitive production machines. Our engineers are involved throughout the project—from initial concept and design through assembly, programming, testing, installation, and commissioning.

Responsibilities

The Controls Engineer will work with senior engineers and project teams to develop and support control systems for custom machinery and test equipment. Responsibilities will include:

• Assist with the design and development of machine control systems.
• Develop and modify PLC and HMI programs.
• Configure and integrate sensors, instrumentation, data acquisition equipment, motors, drives, servos, and other industrial hardware.
• Assist with electrical control panel design, component selection, and system documentation.
• Develop machine sequences, interlocks, alarms, and operator interfaces.
• Participate in machine assembly, checkout, troubleshooting, and debugging.
• Work directly with mechanical, electrical, and software engineers during system integration.
• Troubleshoot electrical, controls, instrumentation, and communications problems.
• Support equipment installation and commissioning at customer facilities.
• Prepare and maintain drawings, software documentation, operating procedures, and technical records.
• Participate in customer design reviews and technical discussions as experience develops.

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Controls Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a closely related technical field.
• Strong interest in industrial controls, automation, machinery, or test systems.
• Basic understanding of electrical circuits, sensors, motors, and control concepts.
• Ability and willingness to work hands-on with machinery and electrical equipment.
• Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills.
• Ability to communicate clearly and work as part of a multidisciplinary engineering team.
• Willingness to learn new hardware, software, and technologies.
• Willingness to travel occasionally for customer installation and commissioning activities.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or otherwise legally authorized to work in the United States without current or future employer sponsorship. Symbrium does not sponsor employment visas for this position.

Experience with any of the following is helpful but not required:

• PLC programming.
• HMI development.
• Rockwell Automation, Siemens, or similar industrial controls platforms.
• Variable-frequency drives and servo systems.
• Industrial Ethernet and communications networks.
• Instrumentation and data acquisition.
• Machine vision or industrial sensors.
• Electrical CAD or control-panel design.
• Programming languages such as C#, C++, Python, or similar.
• Hands-on experience through internships, co-op programs, Formula SAE, robotics, laboratory projects, machine building, or personal technical projects.

We do  not expect an entry-level candidate to already know all of these technologies. We are looking for someone with a strong engineering foundation, curiosity, mechanical aptitude, and the desire to learn.

What Makes This Position Different

This is not a position where a new engineer will spend years maintaining one small portion of an existing product. Symbrium engineers work on complete machines and systems. A new engineer may be programming a PLC one day, troubleshooting an instrument the next, participating in a machine test later in the week, and eventually helping commission that system at a customer's facility. Our projects routinely combine mechanical systems, high-speed rotating equipment, motors and drives, instrumentation, data acquisition, automation, software, and industrial controls. The result is an unusually broad engineering experience for someone early in their career.

The Person We Are Looking For

We value practical engineering ability as much as academic credentials. The right candidate is someone who:

• Likes understanding how things actually work.
• Is comfortable getting out from behind a desk.
• Enjoys solving problems that do not already have textbook answers.
• Is willing to ask questions and learn from experienced engineers and technicians.
• Takes pride in seeing something they helped design become a functioning machine.
• Wants responsibility and is prepared to grow into it.

Symbrium is an equal opportunity employer.