Lead Technician, Controls

The Andersons, Inc. • Upper Sandusky, OH

9d

About The Position

The Lead Technician, Controls is a senior technical resource supporting industrial controls and instrumentation across multiple facilities, with a focus on PLC/HMI programming, troubleshooting, and system reliability. The position 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. It requires regular travel among supported facilities to provide hands-on support, address critical issues, and partner with plant teams based on operational needs.

The role handles complex technical assignments independently, establishes and promotes controls standards, and leads technical work coordination and project execution through expertise and influence, without necessarily having direct reports. It identifies reliability and process-improvement opportunities and drives solutions through implementation and sustained use. Work must comply with safety protocols, policies, procedures, and The Andersons’ Statement of Principles.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED equivalent.
• 5–7 years of relevant industrial instrumentation and controls experience.
• Advanced experience troubleshooting and programming PLC and HMI systems in an industrial environment.
• Ability to read and modify electrical drawings, control schematics, loop diagrams, and process documentation.
• Experience leading complex controls troubleshooting, installations, commissioning, or multi-site technical support.
• Ability to travel regularly among supported facilities and respond to critical controls needs as required.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

• Follow site safety requirements, identify hazards, stop unsafe work, and support 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 the 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 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.

What This Job Offers

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