Controls Engineering Manager

Emotiv•Kansas City, KS

About The Position

Emotiv is seeking a strategic and experienced Controls Engineering Manager to lead the development, standardization, and execution of controls engineering practices across operations. The role manages controls engineers, supports corporate standards, ensures system reliability, and drives continuous improvement in automation, controls, and production performance. The manager leads and mentors the controls engineering team, establishes and maintains controls standards, and oversees control programs, schematics, and network architecture. The position also supports production and maintenance teams in diagnosing downtime, manages controls-related budgets and vendor relationships, and advances system reliability, efficiency, and launch readiness. The work takes place in a normal office and plant environment, with regular exposure to manufacturing equipment and the possibility of working around live electrical systems during troubleshooting. Approximately 5–10% travel is required, and a valid driver’s license is required. Emotiv describes its culture as collaborative and supportive, and offers competitive pay, comprehensive benefits, and career growth opportunities related to sustainable mobility.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field, or equivalent experience.
At least 5 years of controls engineering experience with PLC programming and automation systems.
At least 3 years of leadership or management experience.
Strong experience with PLC/HMI systems, such as Allen-Bradley and Siemens.
Experience with robotics such as Fanuc and Kuka, vision systems such as Cognex and Keyence, and industrial networking such as Ethernet IP and Profinet.
Proficiency in AutoCAD, controls documentation, and electrical schematics.
Demonstrated ability to develop engineering standards and lead continuous improvement initiatives.
Deep operational understanding of JIT manufacturing principles, including how control system uptime affects downstream customer sequence windows.
Ability to work around live electrical systems when troubleshooting.
Valid driver’s license; approximately 5–10% travel required.

Responsibilities

Lead and mentor the controls engineering team, including performance management and capability development.
Establish and maintain corporate standards for PLC, HMI, robotics, vision systems, and automation controls.
Oversee development, approval, and maintenance of control programs, schematics, and network architecture.
Ensure control systems comply with safety, regulatory, and company standards.
Support production and maintenance teams in diagnosing and resolving downtime through root cause analysis.
Manage controls-related budgets, software licenses, and vendor relationships.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance system reliability, efficiency, and launch readiness.