Lead Technician, Controls

Andersons • Upper Sandusky, OH

8d

About The Position

The Lead Technician, Controls serves as a senior technical resource supporting industrial controls and instrumentation across multiple facilities, with a strong focus on PLC/HMI programming, troubleshooting, and system reliability. The role leads complex controls troubleshooting, supports installations and project execution, and provides hands-on technical guidance while working with Allen-Bradley and other industrial control systems. The position requires regular travel between supported facilities to provide hands-on controls support, troubleshoot critical issues, and partner with plant teams based on operational needs.

The role involves broad and advanced industrial controls knowledge gained through extensive job-related training and experience. The technician handles complex troubleshooting, assignments, and technical decisions independently within established policies and objectives, serving as a recognized technical resource across multiple facilities. The position leads standards, technical coordination, and project execution through expertise and influence, and identifies and implements systemic reliability and process improvements. All work must comply with safety protocols, policies, procedures, and The Andersons’ Statement of Principles.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED equivalent required.
• 5–7 years of relevant industrial instrumentation and controls experience required.
• Advanced experience troubleshooting and programming PLC and HMI systems in an industrial environment required.
• Ability to read and modify electrical drawings, control schematics, loop diagrams, and process documentation required.
• Experience leading complex controls troubleshooting, installations, commissioning, or multi-site technical support required.
• Ability to travel regularly among supported facilities and respond to critical controls needs as required.
• Broad and advanced knowledge of industrial controls gained through extensive job-related training and experience.
• Ability to work independently within established policies and objectives and determine the appropriate technical approach for new or non-routine assignments.

Nice To Haves

• Associate degree in electrical, electronics, industrial automation, instrumentation, or a related technical field preferred.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrate safety leadership by following site safety requirements, identifying hazards, stopping unsafe work, and supporting incident investigations and corrective actions.
• Maintain, calibrate, test, troubleshoot, and repair low-voltage plant instrumentation and control systems.
• Lead advanced troubleshooting and root-cause analysis for complex or recurring controls issues across assigned facilities, and implement sustainable corrective actions.
• Serve as the technical escalation point for PLCs, HMIs, instrumentation, telemetry, telecommunications, meters, transmitters, variable frequency drives, and related control equipment.
• Program, modify, test, and document PLC logic and HMI applications in accordance with approved change-management, safety, and operating practices.
• Lead or coordinate installation, commissioning, and startup of control systems and instrumentation in collaboration with operations, maintenance, engineering, integrators, and vendors.
• Establish, maintain, and promote controls standards, system architecture, documentation practices, backups, naming conventions, spare-parts strategies, and lifecycle plans across supported locations.
• Evaluate and recommend controls procedures, systems, and equipment; contribute technical scope, estimates, and execution support for capital and continuous-improvement projects.
• Interpret, develop, and modify drawings, blueprints, schematics, loop diagrams, network drawings, and process documentation.
• Provide technical guidance, education, and hands-on training to technicians, operators, supervisors, and managers.
• Maintain accurate documentation and records of system configurations, changes, testing, incidents, and operating activities, and prepare reports as needed.
• Provide controls support across three or more facilities and travel to supported locations as business needs require.
• Lead standards, coordinate technical work, and support project execution without necessarily having direct reports.
• Identify systemic reliability and process-improvement opportunities and drive solutions through implementation and sustained use.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: High school or GED