Controls Engineer

Frank Calandra Jennmar Services•Huger, SC

About The Position

We are seeking a highly capable, hands-on Electrical / Automation / Controls Engineer to support and optimize electrical systems and automation controls across four industrial manufacturing facilities. This corporate-level role involves extensive travel to troubleshoot electrical systems, lead controls upgrades, support capital projects, and work alongside local engineering and maintenance teams to improve uptime, safety, and processes. The role helps ensure operational reliability, standardize automation platforms, and modernize plant controls infrastructure across the enterprise. Travel is required 75–90% of the time. The engineer provides troubleshooting and diagnostic support for industrial electrical systems, drives, PLCs, HMIs, VFDs, and power distribution up to 480V; supports root cause analyses and urgent repairs; and contributes to automation upgrades and standardization. The role also supports capital projects, commissioning and start-up, maintenance team development, electrical safety practices, and continuous improvement and reliability initiatives across the facilities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Controls Engineering.
At least 5 years of experience in industrial automation, electrical systems, and plant-level controls.
Proven knowledge of PLC/HMI systems, including Allen-Bradley CompactLogix and Siemens Step7/TIA Portal.
Experience with three-phase systems, motor controls, drives, and industrial sensors.
Ability and willingness to travel extensively, 75–90% as required across multiple sites.

Nice To Haves

Experience in steel, metals, or heavy industry.
Familiarity with power distribution, arc flash safety, SCADA, and industrial Ethernet.
Project experience with UL508A panel design, NEC/NFPA70E compliance, and commissioning new equipment.
Knowledge of predictive maintenance tools, CMMS integration, and energy monitoring.

Responsibilities

Troubleshoot industrial electrical systems, drives, PLCs, HMIs, VFDs, and power distribution systems up to 480V.
Lead or support root cause analyses of electrical failures and unplanned outages.
Coordinate urgent repair responses with local maintenance teams and vendors.
Support automation projects, including PLC upgrades, HMI standardization, instrumentation improvements, and control panel design.
Write and modify PLC code and HMI logic to optimize equipment.
Partner with plant teams to align control architectures, safety interlocks, and device network protocols.
Contribute to the design and implementation of capital projects across plants, including new line installations, panel retrofits, and electrical infrastructure upgrades.
Specify electrical and controls components, coordinate contractors, and manage commissioning and start-up support.
Mentor and support plant electricians and automation technicians.
Develop training tools for site-level controls maintenance.
Assist in creating and enforcing lockout/tagout procedures and electrical safety standards.
Identify opportunities to improve uptime, energy efficiency, and equipment diagnostics through modern controls integration.
Promote plant-wide reliability efforts using predictive diagnostics such as thermography, power quality, and trending.
Propose and lead automation improvements to reduce manual intervention and improve quality consistency.

Benefits

Competitive base salary commensurate with experience.
Travel reimbursement and per diem.
Medical coverage, including a standard PPO plan with deductibles as low as $1,500 and wellness credit up to $750.
Free concierge primary care.
Voluntary 401(k) plan currently matching up to 12%.
Voluntary dental and vision plans.
Free telemedicine services.
Basic life insurance.
Long- and short-term disability coverage.
Opportunities for long-term growth within a dynamic, multi-site manufacturing organization.