Controls & Workshop Manager

Wynne Consulting; Bedford; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Wynne Consulting seeks a Controls & Workshop Manager to lead the controls engineering and electrical build teams, overseeing workshop operations for robotic and automated systems. The role ensures safe, on-time delivery within budget while maintaining quality and a high-performance engineering culture.

The candidate will bridge controls design, electrical build, mechanical assembly, commissioning and project management, driving standards and continuous improvement across multiple projects.

Qualifications

• HNC/HND or Degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Automation Engineering, Mechatronics, or related discipline.
• 8-10+ years' experience within industrial automation or machine building.
• 3-5+ years' experience in a leadership or management role.
• Experience delivering robotic and automated machinery projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team of Controls Engineers, Electrical Designers, and PLC Programmers.
• Provide technical direction for automation and robotic control system design.
• Establish engineering standards, templates, and best practices.
• Review and approve controls architecture, electrical schematics, and software designs.
• Manage daily workshop activities including assembly, wiring, testing, and commissioning of robotic systems.
• Coordinate with controls design, electrical build, mechanical assembly, commissioning and project management functions.

Skills

Leadership experience

Robotics projects

Project planning

Process improvement

Team management

Safety compliance

Electrical build

Education

Electrical Eng degree

Tools

Beckhoff TwinCAT

Rockwell Studio 5000

EPLAN

ERP/MRP systems

Job description

Department: Engineering / Operations / Automation

Reports To: Directors

Location: Northern Home Counties

Employment Type: Full-Time

ROLE SUMMARY

• The Controls & Workshop Manager is responsible for leading the Controls Engineering and Electrical Build teams while overseeing workshop operations for the assembly, wiring, testing, and commissioning of robotic and automated systems.


• This role combines technical leadership, workshop management, project delivery, resource planning, and continuous improvement. The successful candidate will ensure automation projects are delivered safely, on time, to budget, and to the required quality standards while fostering a high-performance engineering culture.


• The position acts as the key link between controls design, electrical build, mechanical assembly, commissioning, and project management functions.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Controls Engineering Leadership

• Lead and manage a team of Controls Engineers, Electrical Designers, and PLC Programmers.


• Provide technical direction for automation and robotic control system design.


• Establish engineering standards, templates, and best practices.


• Review and approve controls architecture, electrical schematics, and software designs.


• Ensure controls solutions are robust, scalable, and compliant with customer requirements.

Workshop Operations Management

• Manage daily workshop activities, including machine build, wiring, testing, and integration.


• Allocate resources effectively across multiple projects.


• Ensure workshop activities align with project schedules.


• Monitor labour utilisation and productivity.


• Develop and maintain workshop procedures and work instructions.


• Ensure housekeeping and standards are maintained throughout the facility.

Automation & Controls Systems

Oversee the development and implementation of:

• PLC control systems


• HMI and SCADA applications


• Motion control and servo systems


• Robotic integration systems


• Machine safety systems


• Vision inspection systems


• Data acquisition and manufacturing execution interfaces

Typical platforms may include:

• Beckhoff TwinCAT


• ABB, FANUC, KUKA, UR and Yaskawa robotic systems

Project Delivery

• Support project planning, estimating, and scheduling activities.


• Monitor project milestones and engineering deliverables.


• Ensure equipment is tested and validated prior to shipment.


• Support Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT) and Site Acceptance Tests (SAT).


• Manage commissioning activities and technical support requirements.


• Identify and mitigate technical and project risks.

QUALIFICATIONS

• HNC/HND or Degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Automation Engineering, Mechatronics, or related discipline.


• 8-10+ years' experience within industrial automation or machine building.


• 3-5+ years' experience in a leadership or management role.


• Experience delivering robotic and automated machinery projects.

Preferred

• Member of IET or equivalent professional body.


• IOSH or NEBOSH qualification.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

• PLC programming and troubleshooting.


• HMI and SCADA development.


• Industrial communications protocols:


• Profinet


• Ethernet/IP


• EtherCAT


• Modbus TCP/IP


• OPC UA


• Servo and motion control systems.


• Machine safety design.


• Electrical system architecture.

Workshop & Build

• Electrical panel design and assembly.


• Machine wiring and installation.


• Fault finding and diagnostics.


• FAT and SAT execution.


• Commissioning and start-up support.


• Reading and interpreting electrical schematics.

Software & Tools

• EPLAN


• Rockwell Studio 5000


• Beckhoff TwinCAT


• Microsoft Project


• ERP/MRP systems

SALARY RANGE