Controls Engineer

Woodward is committed to creating a great workplace for all team members, acting with integrity, respect, and accountability while maintaining high professional and ethical standards. Together, we design and deliver energy control solutions to power a clean future.

About the Role

For the first 4 to 6 months, this role will be based in Rockford, Illinois, with some flexibility for remote work. After that, the position will transition to a full-time onsite role at our new facility in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

This position will be designated as a DOT safety-sensitive role in the future, requiring a pre-employment drug test for prohibited substances. It also requires handling information subject to ITAR and/or EAR regulations, so applicants must be U.S. Persons (citizens, lawful permanent residents, asylees, or refugees) or eligible for required authorizations.

Pay

• Level I: Estimated annual base pay: $65,000 (minimum) – $85,400 (midpoint) – $104,000 (maximum)
• Level II: Estimated annual base pay: $77,000 (minimum) – $100,000 (midpoint) – $123,000 (maximum)

Benefits

• Annual cash bonus opportunity
• 401(k) match (4.5%)
• Annual Woodward stock contribution (5%)
• Tuition reimbursement and training/professional development opportunities
• 12 paid holidays
• Industry-leading medical, dental, and vision insurance (effective upon date of hire)
• Vacation, sick time, vacation buy-up, short-term disability, and bereavement leave
• Paid parental leave
• Adoption assistance
• Employee Assistance Program, including mental health benefits
• Member life & AD&D, long-term disability, and optional life insurance
• Member referral bonus
• Spouse/child optional life, optional AD&D, healthcare, and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• Voluntary benefits, including home/auto insurance discounts, whole life insurance, critical illness insurance, legal assistance, and military leave

Responsibilities

Level I

• Controls System Design: Supports the development and modification of control systems by following established engineering procedures and best practices.
• Project Support and Leadership: Tracks project milestones, maintains documentation, and supports basic project tasks.
• Production Support & Troubleshooting: Supports troubleshooting of basic issues within production control systems using predefined methods and guidelines.
• Technical Documentation: Assists in maintaining and updating control system documentation, including diagrams, manuals, and reports.
• Automation, Safety, and System Integration: Assists with automation development and implementation while learning basic safety systems and standards.

Level II

• Controls System Design: Develops and implements low to medium complexity control systems, ensuring they meet industry standards and best practices. Participates in system commissioning and ensures designs meet project requirements.
• Project Support and Leadership: Manages small-scale controls projects, ensuring timelines, budgets, and deliverables are met under supervision.
• Production Support & Troubleshooting: Identifies and resolves low-level issues within production and development control systems using predefined methods and guidelines.
• Technical Documentation: Creates and refines controls system documentation, including diagrams, manuals, and reports to ensure alignment with best practices and compliance requirements.
• Automation, Safety, and System Integration: Implements simple automation and safety systems. Ensures safety standards are met and integrates them into control systems.

Skills

• Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, and Analytical Skills: Identifies basic issues in manufacturing workflows and proposes simple solutions.
• Communication and Collaboration: Communicates findings effectively and collaborates with cross-functional teams.
• Mentorship: Learns from senior engineers by actively seeking guidance and feedback to improve technical and interpersonal skills.
• Mechatronics Knowledge: Basic understanding of mechatronics, including foundational principles of mechanics, electronics, and control systems.
• Programming & Data Management: Creates simple scripts to automate repetitive tasks (e.g., file handling or data formatting) and assists in organizing and maintaining small datasets.
• Process Improvement/Optimization: Follows standardized practices to ensure safety, quality, and efficiency while identifying minor opportunities for productivity enhancements and cycle time reductions.
• New Technology Development: Acquires and applies new technical concepts and technologies while identifying basic opportunities for development within existing systems.
• Communication Protocols and Networking: Basic understanding of industrial communication protocols (e.g., Modbus, Ethernet/IP, PROFIBUS) and networking concepts. Assists in setting up device communication under supervision.
• Data Analysis: Basic understanding of data collection, organization, and visualization techniques with limited ability to interpret trends or patterns in control system data.
• Control Systems Tools & Hardware: Basic knowledge of controls engineering tools and hardware, including PLCs/HMIs, torque drivers, motion controllers, vision system components, and edge devices.

Qualifications

• 4-year Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (or international equivalent).