Controls Engineer

Responsibilities

• Design electrical control systems for new equipment and upgrades from initial concept through completion.
• Develop detailed electrical budgets for new equipment designs and system upgrades.
• Interact with vendors to stay current on available products and technologies and to coordinate project-specific components and solutions.
• Design, develop, troubleshoot, and coordinate all aspects of electrical control systems for equipment, machinery, and special application tools and fixtures.
• Lead and support the startup of equipment, special tools, and fixtures that require motion control, vision systems, robotics, sensors, and PC/PLC-based HMI interfaces.
• Configure and commission PC/PLC-based HMI systems and ensure reliable integration with field devices and control networks.
• Support maintenance and production teams by analyzing issues, improving processes, and reducing equipment downtime.
• Provide ongoing controls engineering support to plant operations, with approximately 70% of time dedicated to supporting the plant and 30% focused on project management activities.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to implement controls and automation solutions that meet safety, quality, and productivity requirements.
• Prepare and maintain technical documentation, including electrical schematics, panel layouts, and software documentation using tools such as AutoCAD.
• Travel periodically to other plant locations to support equipment, automation projects, and plant operations.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering with at least 1 year of related electrical controls or automation experience, or a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial or Mechanical Engineering with 2–5 years of related electrical controls or automation experience.
• Hands-on experience with controls or automation applications involving Allen-Bradley ControlLogix PLCs.
• Experience with PanelView Plus HMI platforms.
• Proficiency in PLC programming for industrial automation applications.
• Experience with industrial communications networks such as Ethernet/IP and DeviceNet.
• Experience with Kinetix servo drives and variable frequency drives (VFDs).
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite for documentation, reporting, and communication.
• Experience using AutoCAD or AutoCAD Electrical for creating and updating electrical drawings and schematics.
• Experience with Microsoft Project or similar tools for planning and tracking engineering projects.
• Manufacturing experience, preferably in a fast-paced plant environment.
• Ability and willingness to support plant operations during evenings and weekends as needed.
• Ability and willingness to travel by driving to other plant locations up to approximately 10% of the time, primarily between Shelbyville, KY and Jeffersonville, IN.

Qualifications

• Experience with motion control systems, including servo and drive configuration for automated equipment.
• Experience with material handling systems and their associated control strategies.
• Exposure to robotics and integration of robots into automated production systems.
• Experience working with sensors and vision systems in industrial automation applications.
• Familiarity with engineering development software tools used for design, simulation, or testing of control systems.
• Strong troubleshooting skills for diagnosing and resolving electrical and control system issues.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and projects, balancing plant support responsibilities with project management activities.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills for working with maintenance, production, engineering, and external vendors.
• Interest in working with highly automated manufacturing programs and new technology implementations.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $90,000.00 - $115,000.00/yr.

Health, dental, vision, 401k, PTO and holiday pay.

Work Environment

The role is based primarily in a manufacturing plant environment that is fast-paced and may involve occasional shifting priorities as production needs change. The position provides main support for a facility in Shelbyville, Kentucky, with regular interaction and some travel to a highly automated program at a site in Jeffersonville, Indiana, and occasional travel to a facility in Pennsylvania.

The Controls Engineer works closely with production and maintenance teams on the plant floor, supporting equipment operation, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement. Work hours may include evenings and weekends when plant operations require support.

The environment includes exposure to automated machinery, robotics, motion control systems, sensors, and PC/PLC-based HMI systems, and involves the use of tools such as Allen-Bradley ControlLogix, PanelView Plus, Kinetix servo drives, VFDs, industrial networks, AutoCAD, Microsoft Office, and Microsoft Project.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation, and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia, and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

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