Automation Controls Engineer – Steel Mill Innovation

Gerdau North America; Petersburg (VA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

401(k) with company match

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Tuition reimbursement

Paid parental leave

Career development

Job summary

Gerdau North America in Petersburg, VA, is seeking a Controls Engineer - Level I to design, program, modify, and troubleshoot PLC-based control systems in a highly automated rolling mill environment.

You will collaborate with operations, maintenance, and engineering to lead automation initiatives, improve reliability, and increase throughput while supporting ongoing modernization efforts across the plant.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent automation experience
• 3+ years of manufacturing automation or controls experience
• Experience programming and troubleshooting PLC systems
• Strong understanding of industrial electrical systems, motors, drives, and control circuits
• Ability to troubleshoot automation, communication, and HMI-related issues
• Strong communication and problem-solving skills
• Authorized to work in the United States without current or future sponsorship requirements

Responsibilities

• Design, program, modify, and troubleshoot PLC-based control systems
• Support and improve HMI applications used by production and maintenance teams
• Lead automation projects that improve reliability, safety, and productivity
• Troubleshoot electrical, controls, networking, and communication issues
• Develop and implement process improvements that reduce downtime and increase throughput
• Analyze equipment performance and recommend automation improvements
• Participate in major outages, capital projects, and continuous improvement initiatives
• Collaborate with operators, maintenance personnel, and leadership teams to solve complex operational challenges

Skills

PLC programming

Troubleshooting

Industrial networking

Problem solving

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related

Tools

Rockwell/Allen-Bradley PLCs

Siemens S7 / TIA Portal

Ignition

GE Cimplicity

Industrial Ethernet Networks

ABB Drives

IBA Process Data Systems

Job description

Gerdau North America in Petersburg, VA, is seeking a Controls Engineer - Level I to design, program, modify, and troubleshoot PLC-based control systems in a highly automated rolling mill environment.

You will collaborate with operations, maintenance, and engineering to lead automation initiatives, improve reliability, and increase throughput while supporting ongoing modernization efforts across the plant.