Senior Manager, Controls Engineering

Key job responsibilities

• Controls Design & Development
• MES & Systems Integration
• Line Deployment, Commissioning & Ramp
• Team Building & Sustained Operations

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, electrical engineering, automation engineering, or equivalent, or 1+ years of industrial controls and automation experience
• 10+ years of experience in controls engineering, industrial automation, or related disciplines.
• 5+ years in a leadership role building and managing multi-disciplinary controls/automation engineering teams.
• Demonstrated experience deploying control systems from pilot through volume production, including FAT, SAT, commissioning, and ramp.
• Hands-on experience in production environments with exposure to operations and the practical challenges of sustaining automated systems.
• Expertise in PLC programming and architecture (Siemens TIA Portal and/or Rockwell Studio 5000/ControlLogix).
• Experience with SCADA/HMI system design, deployment, and management (e.g., Ignition, FactoryTalk, WinCC).
• Experience managing system integrators and ensuring vendor compliance with controls standards. Working knowledge of MES architecture and integration with ERP, WMS, QMS, and shop-floor systems.
• Experience in high-mix or evolving product environments where controls systems must adapt to frequent design changes.

Preferred Qualifications

• 15+ years in controls or automation with progressive leadership responsibilities, including greenfield production launches.
• Experience in automotive, aerospace, battery/energy, or other advanced production environments at scale.
• Expertise in industrial automation programming and integration (Fanuc, KUKA, ABB, or similar acceptable).
• Experience building controls standards and architecture from scratch for a new organization.
• Knowledge of industrial networking (EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, OPC-UA), OT cybersecurity, IT/OT convergence, data historians, and production analytics.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and simplify complex control system architectures at scale.
• Familiarity with safety system design (SafetyPLC, safety-rated networks) and compliance with relevant standards (IEC 62443, NFPA 79, ISO 13849).
• Master's degree in Engineering or MBA with technical background. Exceptional written and verbal communication skills for executive-level technical narratives.
• Track record of delivering results in fast-paced, high-growth environments with strong ownership and bias for action.