Controls Specialist - Applications Engineering

ATS Automation; Cambridge; On-site; CAD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Join ATS Industrial Automation as a Controls Specialist, where you will play a crucial role in developing control system architectures for innovative automation solutions. Collaborating with a diverse team, you will engage in proposal development, mentorship, and ensure compliance with safety standards while benefiting from a competitive rewards package and opportunities for professional growth.

Benefits

Competitive starting salaries

Comprehensive health and dental benefits

Employee bonus and RSP matching

Employee Share Purchase Program

Subsidized breakfast and lunches

Educational reimbursement program

Treat days and gourmet coffee

Qualifications

• Minimum five years’ experience in mechanical design engineering.
• Strong knowledge of electrical devices and PLC programming.
• CMSE certification or equivalent is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Design and define control system architectures using AutoCAD.
• Generate detailed cost estimates for controls hardware and software.
• Support sales presentations and customer meetings.

Skills

PLC programming

Control system design

Electrical devices knowledge

AutoCAD

Communication skills

Mechanical design engineering

Collaborative work

Education

Post-secondary diploma or degree in mechanical design, engineering or equivalent

Tools

AutoCAD

Job description

Join our globally growing team at ATS Industrial Automation where we create complex automation solutions at the highest level that sustainably impact lives around the world.

At ATS, a publicly traded global company with a proud 40-year history, we help drive the future with our factory-wide automation solutions. At ATS Industrial Automation, what we do matters - both to our customers and to their customers. With 1000 skilled employees around the world, we design, build and service mission-critical automated assembly and test solutions for mobility, nuclear and specialty automation. Our customers are leaders in their industries and rely on us to deliver what we promise - on time and on budget. Combined with our broad product portfolio, financial strength and global presence, we provide our customers with the best automation solutions wherever and whenever they need them.

MAJOR DUTIES

As a Controls Specialist in the Applications Engineering team at ATS, you are responsible for the conceptualization, costing, and technical definition of automation solutions with a focus on controls architecture. You play a critical role in the Proposal Development Team (PDT), collaborating with internal stakeholders and external vendors to deliver robust, cost-effective, and innovative automation concepts that align with customer requirements and ATS standards.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

• Controls Architecture Development:
Design and define control system architectures using AutoCAD and other tools, incorporating PLCs, HMIs, sensors, actuators, and safety devices.
• Cost Estimation & Documentation:
Generate detailed estimates for controls hardware and software labor using standardized costing templates. Provide deliverables such as:
o Controls hardware material breakdowns
o Engineering labor estimates
o Illuminate licensing and hardware costs
o Digital Twin labor projections
• Proposal Support:
Collaborate with Applications Leads to develop compliant, lowest-cost solutions. Participate in Proof of Principle (PoP) and innovation projects when required.
• Customer Engagement:
Support sales presentations and customer meetings to explain technical concepts and validate proposed solutions. Occasionally travel to customer sites for system development and technical discussions.
• Vendor Coordination:
Interface with third-party suppliers to source components and validate feasibility during the quoting process.
• Technical Leadership:
Mentor junior team members on best practices in controls design and estimation. Contribute to the development of standard tools and methods for controls costing.
• Compliance & Safety:
Ensure all activities adhere to ATS’s Code of Business Conduct and health, safety, and environmental procedures.

EDUCATION & QUALIFICATIONS

• A post-secondary diploma or degree in mechanical design, engineering or equivalent.
• Minimum of five years’ experience in mechanical design engineering with working knowledge of electrical design, in an automation environment
• Strong knowledge of electrical devices (e.g., switches, load cells, LVDTs)
• Proficiency in PLC programming and control system design
• Familiarity with AutoCAD and industrial communication protocols (e.g., Profinet, EtherNet/IP)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively across departments
• CMSE certification or equivalent is an asset

Why should you join ATS Industrial Automation?

• Be a part of an engaged, empowered and innovative global workforce
• We offer a robust total rewards package- Competitive starting salaries, comprehensive health and dental benefits, overtime pay, employee bonus, RSP matching, Employee Share Purchase Program
• We provide awesome work perks such as treat days, gourmet coffee and beverages, subsidized breakfast and lunches in our cafeteria, employee referral bonuses and lots more.
• We are intentional about your professional growth and development through internal career opportunities and our educational reimbursement program.

ATS is in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disability Act (AODA), 2005 and will, upon request, assist those who may require specific accommodations due to a personal disability. We would ask that those who require assistance to notify our offices as soon as possible if accommodation is necessary

If you're excited about this role, but do not meet all the qualifications listed above, you are still encouraged to apply.