Controls Engineer

Schneider Electric•Buffalo, NY

24d

About The Position

The Controls Engineer is responsible for designing, developing, programming, integrating, and validating control systems for Motivair liquid cooling products. The role combines controls engineering, embedded software development, system integration, and product innovation to deliver reliable, scalable, customer-focused solutions. As part of the New Product Development organization, the engineer works with multidisciplinary teams to develop next-generation cooling platforms and control systems for hyperscale data centers, high-performance computing, AI infrastructure, and other mission-critical environments. The role involves collaboration across engineering, manufacturing, quality, and service teams throughout the product lifecycle, as well as support for testing, commissioning, field startup, and continuous improvement. The position offers opportunities to work with advanced automation, controls, and digital infrastructure technologies and to contribute to products intended to improve customer efficiency and sustainability.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
Minimum 5 years of experience in industrial automation, controls engineering, embedded systems, or a related field.
Experience developing and troubleshooting PLC applications using Ladder Logic (LD), Structured Text (ST), and Function Block Diagrams (FBD).
Experience with BMS, SCADA, or industrial automation environments.
Strong knowledge of industrial communication protocols such as Modbus, BACnet, and SNMP.
Understanding of control theory, instrumentation, PID control, and system integration principles.
Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, P&IDs, control panel drawings, and system architecture documentation.
Experience performing system validation, troubleshooting, and root-cause analysis.
Strong organizational and project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities.
Excellent communication skills and ability to collaborate effectively within cross-functional teams.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Schneider Electric EcoStruxure platforms, Modicon PLCs, Carel controls, C.Suite, 1Tool, or similar industrial automation platforms.
Experience developing embedded software or firmware using C, C++, Python, or related programming languages.
Knowledge of liquid cooling systems, thermal management technologies, HVAC systems, or fluid process controls.
Experience integrating VFDs, pumps, heat exchangers, and fieldbus-connected devices.
Familiarity with Git, GitHub, or other software version control systems.
Experience with cloud-connected architectures, analytics platforms, and remote monitoring technologies.
Knowledge of cybersecurity principles for industrial control systems and operational technology environments.
Experience supporting data center, hyperscale, mission-critical, or AI infrastructure applications.
Exposure to digital twin technologies, simulation tools, and virtual commissioning environments.
Understanding of Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA), Lean Engineering, and standardized controls architecture methodologies.
Experience with secure coding pipelines, including GitHub and Artifactory integration, SAST/SCA, SBOM management, and vulnerability management.

Responsibilities

Develop, program, test, and troubleshoot PLC logic, HMI interfaces, and control algorithms for liquid cooling systems.
Design and implement automation architectures incorporating sensors, pumps, valves, VFDs, instrumentation, and communication networks.
Create and maintain electrical and controls documentation, including I/O lists, control narratives, functional specifications, wiring diagrams, and test procedures.
Configure and validate industrial communication protocols, including Modbus, BACnet, SNMP, and Ethernet-based networks.
Participate in developing embedded control solutions and integrated control architectures for new product platforms.
Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, manufacturing, quality, and service teams to support product development and deployment.
Support system testing, Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), commissioning, and field startup activities.
Analyze and troubleshoot hardware, software, and controls-related issues throughout the product lifecycle.
Translate customer requirements, technical specifications, and industry standards into controls solutions.
Support continuous improvement, software standardization, platform scalability, and reusable controls framework development.
Contribute to technology roadmaps and future product innovations for AI and data center cooling applications.