Controls Engineer

This Controls Engineer will support a mid-size material handling company just north of Grand Rapids, owning the controls portion of projects from cradle to grave with a strong focus on PLC programming and development.

About the role

• Primarily PLC software-focused position
• Position open due to significant influx of work—need to add another couple of engineers to the team
• Great work culture with a family-first environment and respect for work-life balance
• Flexible in/out times and flexible schedule with work-from-home as needed

Responsibilities

• Lead the controls portion of material handling projects from cradle to grave
• Develop and create PLC programs from scratch in Allen Bradley
• Read, edit, and redline AutoCAD Electrical schematics
• Program industrial robots, focusing on palletizing (Fanuc, Kuka)
• Work within an ERP system to manage data, documentation, and workflow
• Travel to customer sites approximately 30–50% of the time to support integration and startup
• Communication and collaboration with customers
• Perform PLC and HMI troubleshooting, including diagnosing control system issues
• Document all controls-related work, including code changes, schematic updates, and configuration details
• Contribute to continuous improvement efforts

Travel

• 30-50% travel, primarily within the U.S.
• All travel scheduled well in advance, with all expenses booked and paid for
• Typical travel duration: 3-5 days at a time (10 days maximum)
• Log time as soon as you hit the road
• Daily per diem provided

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in controls engineering
• PLC programming from scratch (Allen Bradley)
• Experience reading/editing electrical schematic prints
• Robotics programming (Fanuc or Kuka)
• Customer interface experience

Work Environment

• Modern, up-to-date headquarters with ample natural light and collaboration spaces
• Clean, temperature-controlled shop floor with large doors for fresh air
• Split time between shop floor and desk, with slightly more time spent on desk-based programming and design work
• Part of a larger engineering team led by a forward-thinking leader supporting high-level training opportunities

Pay

The pay range for this position is $40.00 - $50.00/hr. Individual compensation will depend on qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Benefits

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may include:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital coverage
• 401(k) Retirement Plan (Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available)
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for employee and dependents)
• Short- and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation, or Sick Leave)

Schedule

This is a fully onsite, contract-to-hire position based in Rockford, MI.