Manufacturing Controls Engineer

Our Next Energy•Novi, MI

3d•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking a skilled Manufacturing Controls Engineer to join our team. This role is responsible for the design, development, implementation, and support of automation and control systems for our manufacturing equipment. You will play a key role in ensuring the efficiency, reliability, and safety of our automated production lines. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in PLC programming, robotics, vision systems, and industrial networking, with experience in high-volume manufacturing environments.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Software Engineering, Mechatronics, or Automation Engineering
5+ years of controls engineering experience in a manufacturing environment
Experience supporting automated production lines or industrial equipment
Experience with PLC programming, Robotics, and industrial automation systems
PLC programming: Allen Bradley (Studio 5000 / RSLogix), Siemens (TIA Portal)
HMI/SCADA systems
Industrial networking (Ethernet/IP, Profinet, IO-link, Modbus, OPC)
Servo systems and VFD drives
Robotics integration (Fanuc, ABB, Kuka, or similar)
Machine vision systems (Keyence, Cognex)
Electrical schematics and panel design
Industrial sensors and instrumentation

Nice To Haves

EV battery, Automotive, Lithium-ion, Semiconductor, or High-tech manufacturing
Dry-room or clean-room manufacturing environments
High-speed automated production lines
Safety PLCs and machine safety standards (ISO 13849 / NFPA)
Automation troubleshooting and problem solving
Systems integration and commissioning
Cross-functional collaboration
Continuous improvement mindset
Strong technical documentation skills
Ability to support a fast-paced manufacturing environment

Responsibilities

Design, program, and troubleshoot PLC-based control systems for automated manufacturing equipment.
Develop and maintain control logic using platforms such as Rockwell (Allen Bradley), Siemens, or similar PLC systems.
Configure HMI / SCADA systems for machine monitoring, diagnostics, and operator interface.
Develop and maintain automated production data collection, reporting, and diagnostic tools to support manufacturing performance.
Support manufacturing execution systems (MES), production traceability, and automation interfaces between PLCs and enterprise systems.
Integrate, troubleshoot, and optimize robotics, vision systems, and automated material handling equipment for high-volume production environments.
Lead controls design, installation, and commissioning of new manufacturing equipment.
Collaborate with equipment vendors and integrators during factory acceptance testing (FAT) and site acceptance testing (SAT).
Develop controls standards and documentation for plant automation systems.
Provide technical troubleshooting support for production equipment downtime related to controls, sensors, drives, vision, PLC, robotics, and automation.
Work closely with maintenance and production teams to diagnose, resolve, and improve automation system performance.
Optimize control strategies to improve cycle time, reliability, and equipment uptime.
Design and validate machine safety systems including safety PLCs, interlocks, emergency stops, and safeguarding systems.
Ensure equipment complies with OSHA, NFPA, and relevant machine safety standards.
Support high-voltage and lithium-ion manufacturing safety requirements.
Analyze equipment performance data to identify automation improvements and efficiency gains.
Implement process automation improvements to increase throughput and reduce scrap.
Support continuous improvement initiatives and plant automation roadmaps.
Lead root cause investigations for automation-related production issues and implement sustainable corrective actions.
Support, maintain, and enforce plant automation standards including programming architecture, documentation, naming conventions, and commissioning procedures.
Maintain detailed documentation including: PLC/HMI code change management revisions, Open issues management, Automation standardization, Electrical schematics redlines.