Electrical Controls Engineer

Lincoln Industries•Lincoln, NE

About The Position

The Electrical Controls Engineer is the technical resource and subject matter expert for electrical controls and automation systems supporting industrial manufacturing equipment. The role provides advanced support for existing production equipment, troubleshoots complex controls issues, and improves equipment reliability. It also owns the design, programming, implementation, commissioning, and troubleshooting of controls systems for new and modified equipment. The position provides technical ownership of plant controls infrastructure and industrial networks, helping ensure systems remain reliable, supportable, secure, and current. The engineer identifies and implements improvements that support safety, quality, productivity, and long-term manufacturing capability. The role works with Maintenance, Operations, Engineering, Quality, Safety, IT, vendors, OEMs, system integrators, and equipment suppliers. It reports to the Director, Engineering and has no supervisory responsibilities. The work may involve contact with hazardous chemicals. Environmental responsibility includes proper disposal of recyclables, standard waste, hazardous waste, and other waste. Training requirements are defined in the Learning Management System based on the role.

Requirements

Associate degree in Automation/Controls Technology, Mechatronics, Electro-mechanical Maintenance, Robotics, or an adjacent discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Three to five years of solid experience installing and programming Allen-Bradley and Siemens PLC families and FANUC, ABB, or Yaskawa robots.
Must be able to read, write, and comprehend English.
Must be able to perform physical functions equivalent to Job Category B – Medium Labor Intensive Category.
Training requirements as defined in the Learning Management System based on the role.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor of Science in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering.
Five to ten years of experience designing, building, installing, and troubleshooting control systems in a production manufacturing environment.
Experience with Rockwell Automation/Allen-Bradley ControlLogix and CompactLogix PLC platforms, Studio 5000, FactoryTalk/PanelView HMIs, industrial networks, VFDs, servo systems, and FANUC or similar industrial robotics.

Responsibilities

Serve as the subject matter expert for electrical controls and industrial automation systems, including PLCs, HMIs, VFDs, servo systems, industrial networks, safety controls, robotics, instrumentation, and related control hardware.
Provide advanced technical support and troubleshooting for manufacturing equipment when controls-related issues exceed routine maintenance capabilities; partner with Maintenance and Operations to identify root causes and implement sustainable corrective actions.
Support Maintenance in developing controls troubleshooting capabilities through technical guidance, training, documentation, and mentoring, while maintaining Maintenance as the primary first-line support organization.
Design, program, implement, test, commission, and troubleshoot control systems for new equipment, equipment upgrades, process changes, and internally developed automation projects, ensuring compliance with company requirements and electrical and machine-safety standards.
Develop, review, and maintain electrical schematics, control panel designs, I/O documentation, network drawings, equipment specifications, functional descriptions, and other controls-related technical documentation.
Maintain the integrity and reliability of plant industrial controls networks and controls infrastructure, including network architecture, managed switches, PLC/HMI communications, remote I/O, device connectivity, and interfaces between manufacturing equipment and higher-level systems.
Monitor controls hardware and software for obsolescence, supportability, compatibility, and lifecycle risk; develop and recommend upgrade or migration plans before obsolete systems create unacceptable production risk.
Develop and maintain relationships with controls vendors, OEMs, system integrators, and equipment suppliers, and provide technical direction and review vendor controls designs for compliance with company standards.
Coordinate with Engineering, Maintenance, Operations, Quality, Safety, and IT when controls changes may affect production processes, machine safety, data systems, or plant infrastructure.
Complete assigned controls and automation projects within established scope, schedule, and budget expectations.
Identify and recommend emerging automation and controls technologies that can improve manufacturing capability, equipment reliability, maintainability, or productivity.
Properly dispose of recyclables, standard waste, hazardous waste, and other waste.