Controls Engineer - Manufacturing Automation

Eagle Wireless is a connectivity company delivering secure, reliable, and scalable cellular modules and solutions for automotive and IoT applications. With a strong presence in the United States and global R&D teams across North America, Europe, and APAC, Eagle Wireless supports customers worldwide with long-life, compliant, and cyber-secure connectivity products. Focused on trust, supply chain resilience, and regulatory compliance, Eagle Wireless helps OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and IoT innovators deploy connected technologies with confidence in an increasingly complex global environment.

Eagle Wireless offers medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid vacation and paid parental leave to support you and your family.

We are looking for: Controls Engineer – Manufacturing Automation

We are seeking a highly motivated Controls Engineer to design, develop, implement, and support the control systems that power our automated manufacturing lines for electronic devices and cellular communication modules. This role will be responsible for programming, integrating, and optimizing PLCs, robotics, vision systems, HMIs, and industrial networks to ensure reliable, high-performance manufacturing operations.

Working closely with Automation, Mechanical, Electrical, Manufacturing, and Product Engineering teams, the Controls Engineer will develop scalable automation solutions that support new product introductions, improve equipment reliability, and enable high-volume production using Surface Mount Technology (SMT) and automated assembly systems. This job will be on-site reporting to the Head of Capital Projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, program, commission, and maintain industrial control systems for automated manufacturing equipment.
• Develop PLC, HMI, motion control, and robotics programs for new manufacturing equipment and production lines.
• Integrate robots, servo systems, vision systems, barcode readers, sensors, and automated inspection equipment into manufacturing processes.
• Develop control architectures for SMT equipment, automated assembly stations, conveyors, end-of-line testing, and material handling systems.
• Support equipment commissioning, Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), Site Acceptance Testing (SAT), and production startup.
• Troubleshoot and optimize machine performance to improve uptime, reliability, throughput, and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).
• Develop electrical control system documentation, including wiring diagrams, I/O lists, network architecture, control narratives, and software backups.
• Collaborate with Automation Engineers, Electrical and Mechanical Engineers to ensure seamless integration of hardware and software systems.
• Configure industrial communication protocols including Ethernet/IP, Profinet, Modbus TCP, OPC UA, and other industrial networks.
• Develop machine safety systems in accordance with applicable safety standards and risk assessments.
• Support New Product Introduction (NPI) activities by developing controls solutions for new manufacturing processes.
• Participate in continuous improvement initiatives to reduce downtime, improve process capability, and increase manufacturing efficiency.
• Provide technical support to manufacturing operations and maintenance teams.
• Assist with vendor selection, equipment specifications, and acceptance testing.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Mechatronics, Automation Engineering, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience designing and programming industrial automation systems in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience programming PLCs from Allen-Bradley, Siemens, Beckhoff, Omron, or similar platforms.
• Experience developing HMIs and SCADA applications.
• Knowledge of servo motion control systems and variable frequency drives (VFDs).
• Experience integrating industrial robots, machine vision systems, sensors, and automated inspection equipment.
• Strong understanding of electrical controls, industrial networking, and machine safety.
• Ability to troubleshoot electrical and automation systems in a production environment.
• Strong communication and project management skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting Surface Mount Technology (SMT) manufacturing and electronic assembly operations.
• Experience integrating Automated Optical Inspection (AOI), Solder Paste Inspection (SPI), in-circuit testing (ICT), and functional test systems.
• Knowledge of IPC standards related to electronics manufacturing.
• Experience programming industrial robots (FANUC, ABB, Universal Robots, Epson, Yaskawa, or similar).
• Experience with MES integration, data collection systems, and Industry 4.0 technologies.
• Familiarity with SQL databases, scripting languages, or industrial data analytics platforms.
• Functional safety experience, including safety PLCs, light curtains, safety scanners, and interlock systems.
• Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma certification.

Success in This Role

The successful Controls Engineer will deliver robust, scalable, and reliable automation control systems that enable efficient manufacturing of electronic devices and cellular communication modules. This individual will drive equipment performance, reduce downtime, support new product introductions, and help build a world-class automated manufacturing operation through innovative controls engineering and continuous improvement.