Body Shop Maintenance Engineer (PLC)

Mercedes-Benz Vans•Charleston, SC

10d•Onsite

About The Position

The Maintenance Engineer improves the safety, reliability, availability, and performance of production equipment and automated manufacturing systems. The role develops and implements maintenance strategies; supports preventive, predictive, condition-based, and total productive maintenance programs; leads complex troubleshooting and root cause analysis; and drives continuous improvement to reduce downtime and improve equipment effectiveness. It provides technical support for manufacturing systems, controls, and automation while ensuring compliance with safety, quality, environmental, operational, and regulatory requirements. The position acts as a technical liaison among maintenance, production, engineering, contractors, suppliers, OEMs, and system integrators. It supports equipment upgrades, new installations, commissioning, production ramp-up, and capital projects. PLC responsibilities include troubleshooting and modifying PLC/HMI software and related hardware, networks, safety systems, drives, robots, and equipment interfaces, while maintaining validated backups, version control, change histories, and recovery procedures. The role also provides technical direction, coaching, and knowledge transfer to maintenance technicians and less-experienced engineers, and supports cost control, project estimates, technical bid evaluations, and cost-reduction initiatives. Mercedes-Benz Vans, LLC operates a plant in Ladson, South Carolina, producing Sprinter vans and reassembling Metris vans. The company describes a collaborative work environment, training, and career opportunities, and states its commitment to an inclusive environment and equal employment opportunity.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, Automation Engineering, Computer Engineering with significant controls experience, or another relevant engineering discipline.
Five or more years of relevant industrial maintenance, controls, automation, manufacturing engineering, or equipment engineering experience; automotive manufacturing experience is preferred.
Experience diagnosing PLC hardware, distributed I/O, HMI, industrial networks, safety controls, variable-frequency drives, sensors, actuators, and automated equipment sequences.
Experience reading and interpreting electrical schematics, control drawings, I/O lists, network architecture, pneumatic diagrams, hydraulic diagrams, and equipment documentation.
Experience with structured root cause analysis and technical problem-solving.
Experience supporting equipment installations, commissioning, production ramp-up, software changes, and technical documentation.
Hands-on experience in off-line simulations.
Experience with project management.
Experience with equipment installation.
Knowledge of manufacturing methods, procedures, and process technology.
Ability to present complex technical information, evaluate alternative solutions, and support decision-making.
Written and verbal communication skills at all organizational levels, including negotiation skills.
Ability to anticipate needs and deliver timely, relevant solutions and actions.
Experience designing and implementing continuous-improvement themes with savings.
Ability to troubleshoot, instruct repair techniques, and assist with root cause analysis in stressful situations.
Ability to read and create blueprints and schematics.

Nice To Haves

Hands-on experience troubleshooting, supporting, or modifying Siemens SIMATIC PLC-controlled equipment.
Experience with Integra 5, Integra 6, Integra 7 standards, or comparable standardized automotive-control architectures.
Experience with KUKA industrial robots and controller environments, including PLC-to-robot interfaces and automated-cell troubleshooting.
Experience with PROFINET, PROFIsafe, industrial Ethernet, managed switches, remote I/O, and controls network diagnostics.
Experience with Siemens safety PLCs, machine-safety systems, safety validation, and controlled modification of safety-related applications.
Experience with LENCE drives, servo systems, motor controls, barcode/RFID systems, vision systems, welding controls, joining equipment, material-handling systems, conveyors, and automated body-shop technologies.
Experience with CMMS or asset-management systems such as SAP or equivalent.
Experience with software backup, version control, change management, equipment obsolescence analysis, and automation lifecycle planning.
Experience preparing technical specifications and managing automation suppliers or system integrators.
Experience in process layout and optimization incorporating asset utilization.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement maintenance and reliability strategies to improve equipment safety, availability, performance, maintainability, lifecycle cost, and operational stability.
Lead complex equipment troubleshooting and root cause analysis using structured methods such as 8D, fault-tree analysis, 5 Why, and failure-data analysis; establish sustainable corrective and preventive actions.
Develop and improve preventive, predictive, condition-based, and total productive maintenance programs, including task content, frequency, technical standards, spare-parts requirements, and acceptance criteria.
Monitor and improve maintenance performance using Technical Availability, OEE, MTTR, MTBF, recurring-failure analysis, maintenance cost, backlog, and equipment lifecycle risks.
Provide technical direction and escalation support to maintenance technicians during production interruptions, equipment recovery, breakdown analysis, and containment measures.
Ensure machine-safety and control-system requirements are met when implementing PLC, robot, HMI, network, drive, or equipment modifications, following approved risk assessment, validation, testing, documentation, and authorization processes.
Develop scopes of work and technical specifications for control-system upgrades, equipment modifications, installations, external programming support, and automation projects.
Support equipment installation, commissioning, debugging, acceptance testing, production ramp-up, and technical handover, including validated software, drawings, network documentation, backups, spare-parts lists, instructions, and training materials.
Coordinate contractors, system integrators, OEMs, and suppliers performing PLC, robot, electrical, controls, and automation activities.
Review and validate technical documentation, including electrical drawings, PLC architecture, I/O lists, network topology, safety circuits, sequence descriptions, HMI screens, alarm lists, software backups, and equipment manuals.
Coach maintenance technicians and less-experienced engineers in PLC diagnostics, control systems, robot interfaces, structured troubleshooting, and internal technical standards.
Drive continuous-improvement and cost-reduction initiatives while maintaining equipment safety, product quality, maintainability, reliability, and compliance.
Troubleshoot PLC-controlled production equipment, including hardware, distributed I/O, HMI, industrial networks, safety systems, drives, sensors, actuators, sequence controls, permissives, interlocks, alarms, and interfaces to production systems.
Analyze and modify PLC and HMI software using approved programming structures, libraries, interfaces, naming conventions, visualization standards, and change-control processes.
Serve as the technical specialist for PLC, controls, automation, and equipment integration systems.
Support robot-system integration and industrial communications, including controller interfaces, operating sequences, handshakes, process interlocks, equipment status, fault diagnostics, and safety-related interface troubleshooting.
Maintain software integrity and recoverability through validated backups, documented versions, controlled online changes, revision histories, recovery procedures, and restoration testing for critical automation assets.
Provide direct and indirect oversight of suppliers and maintenance team members according to shop-floor needs and project requirements.
Support cost control, project estimates, technical bid evaluations, and cost-reduction initiatives within assigned responsibilities.