Senior PLC Controls Engineer

Viable Engineering Solutions LLC•Orlando, FL

20h•$122,720 - $147,680•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking a Senior PLC Controls Engineer to lead the controls design and delivery of automated equipment and process systems for our industrial clients. You will own the control system for each project from architecture through commissioning, set the technical direction for the controls work, and guide less experienced engineers and technicians, while staying hands-on with PLC, HMI, motion, and safety programming.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Automation Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience will be considered.
Minimum of 8 years of PLC programming and controls engineering experience in industrial manufacturing or automation, including leading the controls scope on projects.
Advanced proficiency in Allen-Bradley Studio 5000, Siemens TIA Portal, and/or Beckhoff TwinCAT, with experience on more than one platform preferred.
Experience programming servo and multi-axis motion control systems.
Hands-on experience designing and programming safety systems, with working knowledge of standards such as ISO 13849 and NFPA 79.
Strong experience with HMI/SCADA platforms such as FactoryTalk View, WinCC, or Ignition, including designing screen standards.
In-depth knowledge of industrial networks, including EtherNet/IP, Profinet, Modbus TCP, and EtherCAT, and of designing network layouts.
Experience integrating industrial robots and vision systems with PLC-based control.
Ability to review and mark up electrical schematics, panel layouts, and control drawings.
Proven experience leading FATs, SATs, and commissioning at customer facilities.
Experience mentoring other engineers or technicians.
Strong communication skills, including working directly with customers.
Willingness to travel to customer sites for startup and commissioning.

Responsibilities

Lead controls engineering on automation projects, owning the control system from requirements and architecture through FAT, SAT, and turnover.
Define control system architecture, including PLC platform selection, I/O distribution, network topology, and HMI/SCADA structure.
Develop complex PLC applications on Allen-Bradley ControlLogix/CompactLogix, Siemens S7-1500, Beckhoff, or similar platforms, including multi-axis motion and coordinated machine sequences.
Build and maintain reusable code libraries such as Add-On Instructions, UDTs, function blocks, and standard state-machine templates.
Design and program machine safety systems, including safety PLCs, safety-rated drives, light curtains, and interlocks, and support risk assessments.
Lead integration of robots, vision systems, servo and VFD drives, and specialized sensors into complete automated cells.
Author and review control narratives, functional specifications, I/O lists, and test procedures, and review electrical schematics and panel designs for correctness.
Plan and lead FATs, SATs, and on-site commissioning, and serve as the primary technical contact during customer startup.
Work directly with customers to gather requirements, clarify scope, and resolve technical issues.
Provide controls effort estimates and technical input during project planning.
Mentor junior controls engineers and technicians through code reviews, design reviews, and hands-on field support.
Drive root-cause analysis and corrective action on recurring equipment and control system problems.