Facilities Controls Engineer I

Panasonic • De Soto, KS

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Do you want to join a team that's changing the world? Do you have a strong background as a Facilities Controls Engineer I? Then we're looking for you! Check out the job description and apply now! Put your skills to meaningful use, gain unique experience, and work with world-class team members with diverse backgrounds and expertise who share the same vision. Join the PECNA team today! Meet the Recruiter: Anh Martin Summary: Join us at Panasonic Energy as we expand to De Soto, Kansas, where we’re building the world’s largest lithium-ion battery factory. This is an exciting opportunity to grow your career while contributing to the future of electric vehicles. As part of our team, you’ll help push the limits of battery technology, enhancing performance and efficiency in sustainable transportation. Our state-of-the-art facility, just outside the Kansas City Metro, will be a hub for innovation in green energy solutions. If you're passionate about sustainability and eager to contribute to the electric vehicle revolution, we invite you to be part of our dynamic team. Join us and make a meaningful impact on the future of energy and transportation. Job Summary: The Facilities Controls Engineer I supports the design, implementation, and maintenance of industrial and building control systems, including PLCs, HMIs, VFDs, and instrumentation. This role programs, tunes, and configures controls networks while ensuring equipment operates safely and efficiently. The technician provides technical support to 24-hour operations, assists with project execution, and ensures compliance with industry standards and codes. Collaboration with engineers across disciplines and sites is essential to drive best practices and continuous improvement in controls systems. This role requires close supervision and guidance, impacting both the individual's work and that of the immediate team.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in an Engineering discipline or related engineering field with an aptitude for Controls / Electrical / Instrumentation topics.
• Strong foundational understanding of core engineering principles.
• Skills and experience necessary to satisfy the required “Essential Duties”.
• Strong technical leadership with excellent organizational and verbal skills.
• Knowledge of and comfort with Microsoft Office Suite software including Access, Excel, Word, PowerPoint.
• Ability and proficiency in collecting, analyzing, and presenting technical information to non-technical audiences.
• Able to manage multiple concurrent tasks in a fast-paced environment, effectively prioritize work, and deliver quality results.
• Self-starter who works well independently and an outstanding ability to follow up with minimal direction by seeking answers and a focus on team success.
• Able to make appropriate decisions when confronted with obstacles, think about them before acting, and consistently resolve issues in creative and effective ways.
• A strong work ethic with a “get the job done” approach and consistently delivers excellent customer service, both internally and externally.
• Intuitive, adaptable, creative, and collaborative with excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Collaborative nature with strong team building skills and willing to learn from and accept guidance from others.
• Must have working-level knowledge of the English language, including reading, writing, and speaking English.

Nice To Haves

• 2+ years of engineering experience through internships, co-ops, or entry-level roles in manufacturing environments
• Experience in application of controls and instrumentation for process systems (process cooling water, hot water, air systems, exhaust, chem/gas distribution, etc.).
• Experience with Rockwell Automation/Allen Bradley, Honeywell, Omron or Mitsubishi PLCs (PLC hardware and software).
• Experience programming with FactoryTalk, Wonderware/AVEVA InTouch, Ignition or other SCADA development platforms.
• Experience in industrial network design, configuration, installation, maintenance, security strategies, troubleshooting, etc.
• Basic understanding and programming of PID loop tuning.
• Able to terminate instrumentation to a controller and perform calibration through the program interface.
• Able to troubleshoot alarms, field instrumentation, pneumatic and electric control valves, variable speed drives and motor starters.
• Experience managing multi-discipline projects.
• Able to respond quickly to potentially critical situations, perform rapid, accurate assessments, identify causes of failures, determine appropriate corrective actions, and implement these corrections promptly to mitigate the effects of system upsets.
• Proficient with PC hardware and windows-based applications.
• Alignment to Panasonic’s seven (7) core principles (contribution to society, fairness and honesty, cooperation and team spirit, untiring effort for improvement, courtesy and humility, adaptability, gratitude).

Responsibilities

• Support senior controls engineers with the design, implementation, and troubleshooting of controls systems and instrumentation, including building process systems (pumps, valves, sensors) and building systems (HVAC, Life Safety Systems)
• Understand industrial equipment and processes, their operating parameters, and make decisions (with engineering support) to improve or maintain controls and instrumentation hardware and software
• Assist with development and execution of the controls-related scope in facility expansion and sustaining projects, including Process and Instrumentation Diagrams, Sequence of Operations, I/O lists, panel drawings, and instrumentation lists
• Program industrial process systems, including PLCs (Allen Bradley, Omron, Mitsubishi) and Human Machine Interfaces (HMI/GUI – Ignition, PanelView)
• Program and tune variable frequency drives (ABB, Rockwell) for optimal performance
• Configure controls networks, including Fieldbus Networks (ProfiNet, DeviceNet, Ethernet/IP, Safety-rated networks) and Serial communication (Modbus, RS-232, Ethernet communications between PLCs and database systems)
• Applies basic engineering principles and standard procedures
• Supports tasks within projects
• Influence supplier performance through management and audits of work performed in the field
• Works on clearly defined tasks under supervision
• Applies existing processes and tools
• Provide technical controls support for the 24-hour operations team
• Learns from mentors
• Develop relationships and communicate with engineers across disciplines and at other Panasonic sites to foster best practice sharing and communication
• Communicates within immediate team
• Relies on established procedures
• Support the selection of appropriate circuit protectors, wire and cable, sensors, safety hardware, PLC hardware, remote I/O, VFDs, and instrumentation
• Ensure projects and systems are compliant with applicable codes and standards, such as the National Electric Code and International Society of Automation

Benefits

• Health Benefits – Offering medical, dental, vision, prescription plans, plus Health Savings Account and Flexible Spending Account options.
• Voluntary Benefits – Life, accident, critical illness, disability, legal, identity theft, and pet insurance.
• Panasonic Retirement Savings & Investment Plan (PRSIP) – 401(k) plan with company matching contributions and immediate vesting.
• Paid Time-Off Benefits – Vacation, holidays, personal days, sick leave, volunteer, and parental & caregiver leave.
• Educational Assistance – Tuition reimbursement for job-related courses after six months of service.
• Health Management and Wellbeing Programs –Lifestyle Spending Account, EAP, virtual health management, chronic condition, neurodiversity, tobacco cessation, substance abuse support, and life stage and fertility resources. Available to eligible employees starting the first day of the month following your start date. Eligibility for each benefit may vary based on employment status, location, and length of service.
• Employee Recognition Program - High5 employee recognition and awards platform, quarterly and annual employee recognition
• Annual Bonus Program - Opportunity for an annual performance-based bonus.
• On-site Food Options: Several on-site cafes, plentiful snack and beverage kitchens, revolving on-site vendor visits and employee events

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees