Principal Controls Engineer

Design Hire • Indianapolis, IN

21h

About The Position

Our client is a forward-thinking industrial automation organization focused on developing reliable, scalable control systems for complex manufacturing and industrial operations. The Principal Controls Engineer will help establish the technical foundation of the Controls & Automation group by building standardized engineering resources and repeatable workflows that strengthen team performance. This role offers the opportunity to shape technical direction, improve engineering consistency, and mentor a team responsible for delivering high-quality automation solutions.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Automation Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in controls engineering, industrial automation, and PLC-based system development.
• Demonstrated experience creating controls standards, shared libraries, and engineering workflows from scratch rather than simply applying existing frameworks.
• Advanced proficiency with AutoCAD Electrical, including creating and organizing standardized design resources.
• Extensive hands-on experience with Allen-Bradley hardware, Rockwell automation platforms, and Studio 5000 Logix Designer.
• Strong knowledge of PLC architecture, reusable programming methods, HMI development, and industrial communication systems.
• Proven ability to mentor engineers, deliver technical training, and drive consistent implementation of engineering standards across a team.
• Experience providing technical leadership, resolving complex automation challenges, and improving the reliability and maintainability of control systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead Rockwell / Allen-Bradley PLC programming using Studio 5000 Logix Designer to develop reliable control solutions for industrial equipment and automated systems.
• Build and maintain AutoCAD Electrical standards and shared library resources, including standardized symbols, templates, electrical schematics, and panel design documentation.
• Establish PLC programming standards and controls architecture, including developing Add-On Instructions (AOI) and reusable programming libraries.
• Develop FactoryTalk View / HMI applications.
• Lead industrial networking and system integration to support communication between control systems, equipment, and operator interfaces.
• Direct PLC testing, commissioning, and troubleshooting.
• Develop technical standards, standardize engineering workflows, document best practices, and train engineers to implement systems and libraries consistently.
• Mentor engineers, deliver technical training, and drive consistent implementation of engineering standards across the team.
• Provide technical leadership, resolve complex automation challenges, and improve control-system reliability and maintainability.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal