Controls Engineer - Production Support

ZENITH INFOTEK LLC•Research Triangle Park, NC

3d•Remote

About The Position

We are seeking an experienced Controls Engineer to join our Production Support team supporting critical manufacturing operations. The ideal candidate will possess hands-on experience with Siemens automation platforms including PLC and NC systems, with strong troubleshooting and support capabilities in a production environment. This role will be responsible for maintaining, troubleshooting, optimizing, and supporting manufacturing control systems to ensure maximum equipment uptime, operational efficiency, and production continuity. The candidate will collaborate closely with Operations, Maintenance, Manufacturing Engineering, OEMs, and IT/OT teams to resolve control system issues and implement continuous improvements.

Requirements

Minimum 3+ years of hands-on experience in industrial controls engineering.
Strong experience with Siemens PLC systems.
Practical experience with Siemens NC/CNC controls.
Hands-on experience using Siemens Step7.
Hands-on experience using Siemens TIA Portal.
PLC troubleshooting and logic modification experience.
Understanding of industrial automation architectures.
Experience supporting manufacturing equipment in a production environment.
Knowledge of Profinet.
Knowledge of Profibus.
Knowledge of Ethernet/IP.
Knowledge of OPC UA.
Knowledge of Modbus TCP.
Exposure to PLC Programming.
Exposure to HMI Systems.
Exposure to Servo Systems.
Exposure to VFDs.
Exposure to Industrial Networks.
Exposure to Motion Control Systems.
Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills.
Excellent problem-solving mindset.
Ability to perform under production-critical situations.
Strong verbal and written communication skills.
Ability to work collaboratively across functions.
Customer-focused and result-oriented approach.
Ability to prioritize multiple activities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience in automotive, packaging, consumer products, metal processing, or industrial manufacturing industries.
Experience with Siemens SINUMERIK controls.
Exposure to SCADA systems.
Knowledge of Industrial IoT and Industry 4.0 initiatives.
Basic understanding of SQL databases.
Experience with MES integrations.
Familiarity with OT cybersecurity concepts.

Responsibilities

Provide day-to-day production support for Siemens PLC and NC-controlled manufacturing equipment.
Diagnose and resolve automation, controls, and machine-related issues impacting production.
Perform root cause analysis (RCA) for recurring system, machine, and process failures.
Work closely with manufacturing and maintenance teams to minimize equipment downtime.
Troubleshoot field devices, drives, motors, HMI systems, sensors, communication networks, and machine interfaces.
Support, modify, troubleshoot, and optimize Siemens PLC applications.
Work on Siemens S7-based control systems including: S7-300, S7-400, S7-1200, S7-1500.
Analyze PLC logic and implement approved modifications.
Support machine commissioning, upgrades, and control system enhancements.
Support Siemens CNC/NC platforms used in manufacturing operations.
Troubleshoot NC program execution issues, machine communication problems, and control system errors.
Work with machine builders and maintenance teams to optimize machine performance.
Support machine parameterization, diagnostics, and recovery activities.
Utilize Siemens Step7 and TIA Portal for program troubleshooting, online diagnostics, program backups and restores, software modifications, hardware configuration, and commissioning activities.
Maintain PLC source code repositories and version control practices.
Identify opportunities for automation improvements.
Support productivity, quality, and OEE improvement initiatives.
Participate in machine modernization and upgrade projects.
Recommend improvement opportunities to improve reliability and maintainability.
Maintain technical documentation including PLC backups, functional specifications, network diagrams, change records, and troubleshooting guides.
Support change management and validation activities where required.
Ensure compliance with plant safety standards and engineering procedures.
Work closely with Operations Team, Maintenance Team, Manufacturing Engineers, Quality Team, OEM Vendors, and IT/OT Support Teams.
Participate in on-call support and emergency troubleshooting when required.