Maintenance Controls Technician

Maintenance Controls Technician

Location: Summerville, SC

Pay: $39-41.25

Job Description

The Controls Technician serves as the senior technical controls resource within the maintenance department, providing advanced PLC, automation, controls, and electrical troubleshooting support on automated manufacturing equipment. This role steps in when Maintenance Technicians and Leads cannot resolve complex equipment issues, performing in-depth diagnostics at the PLC and controls level to restore equipment operation quickly and prevent repeat failures. The position focuses heavily on hands-on work on the manufacturing floor in a regulated environment, partnering closely with Maintenance, Production, Engineering, and Quality to minimize downtime and support equipment reliability.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the highest-level technical escalation point for controls and electrical issues within the maintenance troubleshooting structure.
• Provide advanced PLC, automation, controls, and electrical troubleshooting on automated manufacturing and production equipment.
• Connect directly to PLCs using a laptop and appropriate controls software to diagnose controls-related failures and equipment problems.
• Troubleshoot beyond the HMI level by reviewing PLC logic, inputs and outputs, electrical circuits, devices, and related controls issues.
• Perform PLC backups and support controls-related projects as needed to maintain and improve equipment performance.
• Diagnose and repair issues with HMIs, VFDs, servo systems, industrial networks, instrumentation, safety systems, sensors, relays, and other automated equipment components.
• Conduct root cause analysis on difficult equipment failures and implement effective corrective and preventive actions to avoid repeat issues.
• Work closely with Maintenance Technicians, Leads, Supervisors, Engineering, Production, and Quality to restore equipment operation and minimize production downtime.
• Respond directly to equipment breakdowns on the manufacturing floor and troubleshoot under production pressure while maintaining safety and quality standards.
• Read and interpret electrical schematics, control circuits, PLC logic, and technical documentation to guide troubleshooting and repair activities.
• Support equipment reliability and continuous improvement initiatives by identifying recurring issues and recommending technical solutions.
• Provide coaching and technical guidance to Maintenance Technicians to elevate overall troubleshooting capability within the team.
• Document troubleshooting steps, findings, and solutions in alignment with cGMP and other regulatory or internal requirements.
• Maintain strong focus on equipment uptime, safety, product quality, and compliance while performing all maintenance and troubleshooting tasks.

Essential Skills

• 35+ years of hands-on industrial controls and PLC troubleshooting experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Proven ability to personally connect a laptop directly to a PLC and use controls software to diagnose equipment problems.
• Demonstrated capability to troubleshoot beyond the HMI level by investigating PLC logic, inputs/outputs, electrical circuits, devices, and controls issues.
• Strong electrical troubleshooting skills on automated manufacturing equipment.
• Experience supporting PLCs, HMIs, VFDs, servo systems, industrial networks, instrumentation, and machine safety systems.
• Ability to independently diagnose difficult equipment failures, determine root cause, and return production equipment to operational status.
• Comfort reading and troubleshooting electrical schematics, control circuits, PLC logic, and technical documentation.
• Experience troubleshooting sensors, relays, motors, drives, instrumentation, networking, and automation components.
• Strong independent problem-solving skills and the ability to work without step-by-step direction on complex equipment issues.
• Hands-on manufacturing-floor experience working directly on automated production equipment, not limited to machine operation or basic maintenance.
• Authorization to work in the U.S. without current or future employer sponsorship.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with Allen-Bradley and Siemens PLC troubleshooting.
• Working in a regulated manufacturing environment with cGMP or similar standards.
• Formal electrical apprenticeship, technical schooling, controls courses, or PLC certifications.
• Previous involvement in equipment reliability or continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ability to coach and provide technical guidance to other Maintenance Technicians.
• Familiarity with industrial networking, safety systems, and instrumentation.
• Comfort working in a high-uptime, production-driven environment with strong emphasis on safety, quality, and documentation.

Why Work Here?

Employees benefit from a direct-hire opportunity with comprehensive, employer-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage, as well as company-paid short- and long-term disability and life insurance. The organization offers a 401(k) plan with employer matching contributions up to 4%, along with paid time off, volunteer time off, and holiday leave to support work-life balance. Team members can also take advantage of gym membership reimbursement and a monthly allowance for wellness-related supplements. This role sits at the highest technical escalation level within the maintenance troubleshooting structure, providing exposure to complex technical challenges and opportunities for ongoing training, professional development, and career growth, even though a defined advancement path for this specific position is not currently established.

Work Environment

This is a hands-on, floor-facing manufacturing maintenance role based in a regulated production environment in Summerville, SC. The position is not primarily engineering, programming, or desk-based; instead, it involves working directly on automated manufacturing and production equipment under real-time production conditions. The role requires frequent interaction with Maintenance Technicians, Leads, Supervisors, Engineering, Production, and Quality teams, with a strong emphasis on equipment uptime, safety, product quality, documentation, and cGMP compliance. Candidates should expect to respond directly to breakdowns, troubleshoot under production pressure, and work with a variety of automated systems and industrial controls technologies. The schedule follows an overnight shift from 5:00 PM to 5:30 AM on a rotating 2-2-3 pattern, providing every other weekend off.