Mid/Sr Level Controls Engineer

Position: Controls Engineer

Location: Greater Chicago Area

Employment Type: Full-Time

Industry: OEM Manufacturing

Company Size: 50-200 employees

We're working with a specialized OEM in the Chicago region that's growing their Engineering team. They're seeking a Controls Engineer to take ownership of electrical controls projects from concept through commissioning-both in-house and in the field. This role combines leadership, hands-on programming, and system integration within a fast-paced industrial environment.

Key Areas of Responsibility:

Lead and guide the drafting/design group through the development of panel schematics and system layouts.

Oversee panel shop technicians during the build and assembly of custom control panels.

Develop control logic and HMI interfaces across various platforms.

Configure, tune, and troubleshoot variable frequency drives and servo motion systems.

Simulate and test control systems prior to deployment.

Travel to customer sites for installation support, equipment commissioning, and post-install troubleshooting.

Provide field-level support and electrical diagnostics as needed during and after startup. Ideal Background:

Bachelor's degree in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent technical background.

3+ years of hands-on experience with PLC programming (Rockwell, Siemens, Modicon preferred).

HMI configuration experience across platforms such as Wonderware, FactoryTalk View, or Ignition.

3+ years using AutoCAD or related software to interpret or create electrical diagrams.

Proficiency with VFD configuration and basic PID loop tuning.

Previous exposure to servo motion systems (Kinetix or comparable) is a strong advantage.

Comfortable reading and interpreting process instrumentation diagrams and control layouts.