PLC / Controls Engineer

NOX METALS•Detroit, MI

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Nox Metals is a technology company in Detroit supplying aluminum plate, bar, and rounds to aerospace and defense manufacturers. We use software and automation to supply metal to American factories faster than the industry thought possible. We need a PLC and Controls Engineer to own the layer where steel meets software. Every saw, every CNC, every conveyor, every sensor, every robot, every automated cell. You make the machines talk, you make them talk to NOX NEST, and you make them run faster, smarter, and safer than they ever have. Nox Metals is an employer with real opportunity for long term career growth, this is a place to build a career, not just hold a job.

Requirements

3 to 5+ years of PLC and controls engineering experience in manufacturing, metals, machining, or comparable industrial environments
Brand-agnostic across PLC platforms, Allen-Bradley, Rockwell, Siemens, Beckhoff, Mitsubishi, whatever the machine speaks
Strong in ladder logic, structured text, function block, HMI development, and SCADA
Hands-on with electrical work, you can read a schematic, pull a panel, land a wire, and commission a drive
Fluent in industrial networks, EtherNet/IP, Profinet, Modbus, OPC UA, MTConnect, and the rest
Comfortable on the software side, you can write a script, hit an API, structure a payload, and reason about a database schema
Tightly partnered with software teams in past roles, comfortable writing specs, filing tickets, and shaping the tools you use
Cracked with AI tools, modern software, and data, you build controls systems that talk to the rest of the company
A builder at heart, you would rather ship a working v1 today than ship a perfect v3 next month
High attention to quality, every wire, every tag, every line of logic
Always thinking about how to make systems better, you do not accept "this is how we have always done it"
Absolutely customer obsessed, every machine you bring online ships parts on a customer's dock
User obsessed, you sit with the operator, you watch them run the machine, and you build controls they actually trust
A team player with a good attitude, you make the floor better for everyone around you
Someone who takes ownership, if it has wires or logic in it, it is your responsibility
Precise under pressure and reliable, when a machine is down, the company is watching you fix it
Organized and detail oriented
Committed to safety, you follow every protocol, wear your PPE, lock out tag out, and never cut corners that put people at risk
High agency, you handle big items alone and ask for help when needed
Low ego, you walk the floor, you crawl into machines, you do the unglamorous work because it needs to get done
Able to lift up to 50 lbs and operate heavy equipment on your feet for a full shift
Not afraid to work outside normal hours when America demands it
Never says "that's not my job"

Nice To Haves

Experience automating saws, CNC equipment, or material handling cells in metals environments
Background with robotics, gantry systems, or fully automated cells
Experience with motion control, servo drives, VFDs, and precision positioning
Hands-on experience integrating machine data into MES, ERP, or custom production systems
Functional safety background, ISO 13849, IEC 62061, or comparable
Comfortable using AI tools to work faster and smarter

Responsibilities

Own PLC, HMI, and controls work across every machine on the floor
Program, commission, and maintain PLCs across saws, CNC equipment, material handling, and future automated cells
Run electrical work hands-on, wiring, sensors, drives, panels, retrofits, you are not afraid to pull the panel cover off
Integrate every machine into NOX NEST, telemetry, job state, cycle data, alarms, override logic, you own the full stack from sensor to API
Partner tightly with the software team, write the firmware-side, partner on the API, ship the integration end to end
Build SCADA, HMI, and operator interfaces that make the floor more productive, not more confusing
Design and deploy retrofits that turn manual machines into automated cells
Build the data pipelines that capture every cycle, every cut, every fault, the data that powers our ML and operational intelligence
Own machine safety controls, e-stops, light curtains, interlocks, audited and verified
Lead troubleshooting when a machine goes down, root cause it, fix it, and prevent it from happening again
Build SOPs, electrical schematics, and controls documentation that the next person can actually use
Always ask questions, never guess when something is unclear
Look at every machine, every wire, every line of ladder logic and figure out how to make it better
Work safely every shift and hold your teammates to the same standard