Manufacturing Automation & Controls Engineer

Job Description

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Automation & Controls Development

Design, program, and troubleshoot PLC-based control systems for automated manufacturing equipment

Develop and troubleshoot Mitsubishi HMI systems (GT Designer / GOT)

Configure HMI / SCADA systems for machine monitoring, diagnostics, and operator interface.

Integrate robotics, vision systems, and automated material handling equipment into production environment processes.

Equipment Integration & Commissioning

Lead controls design, installation, and commissioning of new manufacturing equipment.

Collaborate with equipment vendors and integrators during factory acceptance testing (FAT) and site acceptance testing (SAT).

Develop controls standards and documentation for plant automation systems.

Manufacturing Support

Provide technical troubleshooting support for production equipment downtime related to controls, sensors, drives, and automation.

Work closely with maintenance and production teams to diagnose and resolve automation issues.

Optimize control strategies to improve cycle time, reliability, and equipment uptime.

Support 24/7 production operations and provide rapid troubleshooting of automation issues impacting plant throughput

Identify root causes of recurring automation issues and implement long-term corrective actions

Safety & Compliance

Design and validate machine safety systems including safety PLCs, interlocks, emergency stops, and safeguarding systems.

Ensure equipment complies with OSHA, NFPA, NEC, and all relevant machine safety standards.

Support high-voltage and lithium-iron manufacturing safety requirements.

Process Optimization

Analyze equipment performance data to identify automation improvements and efficiency gains.

Implement process automation improvements to increase throughput and reduce scrap.

Support continuous improvement initiatives and plant automation roadmaps.

Documentation & Standards

Maintain detailed documentation including:

PLC, HMI, and Safety code revisions

Electrical schematics

Controls Network architecture

Automation standards & specifications

· Support development of plant-wide automation and controls standards.

The ideal candidate will possess the following skills:

Strong hands-on experience with Mitsubishi PLC platforms (GX Works / GX Works 2 & 3 / iQ-R / Q-Series)

Experience integrating PLC systems with MES / production database systems

Understanding of PLC–MES handshake protocols, data validation, and traceability systems

PLC programming

Mitsubishi (GX Works, GT Designer)

Allen Bradley (Studio 5000 / RSLogix)

Diagnosing and troubleshooting industrial control networks including Ethernet/IP, CC-Link, Profinet, and TCP/IP infrastructure

HMI/SCADA systems

Servo systems and VFD drives

Robotics integration (Fanuc, ABB, Kuka, or similar)

Machine vision systems

Electrical schematics and panel design

Industrial sensors and instrumentation

The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate the following preferred experience:

EV battery, lithium-iron, semiconductor, or high-tech manufacturing

Dry-room or clean-room manufacturing environments

Industrial Manufacturing Production – Automotive, EV, Injection Molding, Food/Beverage, etc.

High-speed automated production lines

Safety PLCs and machine safety standards (ISO 13849 / NFPA)

Six Sigma Leadership

The following competencies are desired:

Ability to independently diagnose complex automation problems across PLC, HMI, robotics, and industrial networking systems

Systems integration and commissioning

Cross-functional collaboration

Cross-cultural & organizational collaboration

Continuous improvement mindset

Strong technical documentation skills

Ability to support a fast-paced manufacturing environment

Full-time