Automation & Controls Software Engineer – Rockwell PLCs & Servo Motion

Rare Bird Recruiting; Town of Germantown (WI); On-site; USD 99,000 - 121,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

Job summary

Rare Bird Recruiting, LLC is seeking an Automation & Controls Software Engineer for a Rockwell PLCs & Servo Motion role in the Greater Milwaukee area. The position offers up to a $110,000 base salary, profit sharing, and a comprehensive benefits package.

Responsibilities include designing PLC/HMI software, integrating interfaces, reviewing AutoCAD schematics, and leading on-site client commissioning with travel.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of professional experience designing, building, and programming controls software from scratch using Rockwell/Allen-Bradley platforms (Studio 5000 / RSLogix).
• Degree in Automation Technology, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field.
• Willingness to travel domestically 25% to 50% for custom integration rollouts, with guaranteed weekend comp days.
• Residence within a 45-minute drive of Greater Milwaukee / Washington County.
• US Citizen or Green Card holder.

Responsibilities

• Architect Ground-Up PLC/HMI Software using Studio 5000 and FactoryTalk View from scratch.
• Engineer high-level interfaces with Visual Studio, C#, and relational databases for data tracking.
• Review AutoCAD electrical panel layouts and BOMs for safety compliance.
• Configure EtherNet/IP, servo drives, machine vision, and safety PLCs.
• Lead on-site client commissioning and final system sign-offs.

Skills

Allen-Bradley Rockwell

Studio 5000

RSLogix

FactoryTalk View

EtherNet/IP

Servo motion control

AutoCAD schematics

PLC/HMI development

Education

Associate’s degree in Automation Technology

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Computer Science degree

Tools

Visual Studio

C#

VB.NET

AutoCAD

Cognex

Keyence

SQL databases

Job description

Automation & Controls Software Engineer – Rockwell PLCs & Servo Motion

Up to $110,000 Base Salary + Profit Sharing Greater Milwaukee Area Travel Flex Direct-Hire

• Compensation & Incentives: Up to $110,000 starting base salary (calibrated for Junior, Mid, and Senior experience depth) + profit sharing + comprehensive corporate benefits package.
• Work Schedule: Flexible day shift in the engineering lab with 25%–50% domestic travel for commissioning, featuring guaranteed, immediate comp days for weekend startup work.
• Work Environment: High-tech engineering lab in the Greater Milwaukee / Washington County corridor; anti-monotony, zero-bureaucracy culture with direct access to project leadership.
• Experience & Tech Stack: 2+ years of controls depth; ground-up Allen-Bradley / Rockwell (Studio 5000, RSLogix, FactoryTalk View) programming; EtherNet/IP, multi-axis servo motion control, and AutoCAD schematics.
• Requirements & Compliance: U.S. Citizen or Green Card holder; degree in Automation, EE, CS, or related engineering discipline; local residence within a 45-minute commute of Washington County / Greater Milwaukee.

If you are looking for the ultimate antidote to career burnout, this custom systems integration role offers the ideal escape from repetitive plant maintenance loops and rigid corporate templates. Operating out of a collaborative engineering facility in the Greater Milwaukee / Washington County corridor, this rapidly expanding firm functions with an engineering philosophy centered around custom, ground-up innovation. Every project is unique—ranging from high-speed sortation networks to robotic welding cells and complex multi-axis servo systems.

Your time and dedication are protected aggressively here. Recognizing that field commissioning takes energy, a non-negotiable travel-balancing policy is strictly enforced: if a customer startup requires weekend work, you are immediately awarded comp time so you return home to a full four-day weekend. With zero corporate bureaucracy, massive technical variety, and full ownership from design to startup, this environment is built for engineers who take pride in seeing their custom software drive heavy industrial machinery.

What You Will Be Doing (Daily Responsibilities)

• Architect Ground-Up PLC/HMI Software: Develop robust PLC programs and intuitive HMI interfaces completely from scratch for complex automated machinery, robotic cells, and specialized sorting systems using Studio 5000 and FactoryTalk View.
• Engineer High-Level Interfaces: Integrate operator interfaces and explore advanced system capabilities using Visual Studio, C#, and relational databases for enterprise-level data tracking.
• Audit Control Schematics: Review, verify, and validate detailed electrical panel layouts and control schematics in AutoCAD to align with Bills of Materials (BOMs) and safety compliance standards.
• Configure Industrial Networks & Motion: Set up, calibrate, and troubleshoot EtherNet/IP communications, multi-axis servo drives, machine vision systems, and safety PLCs.
• Lead On-Site Client Commissioning: Serve as the primary technical authority during client field deployments, supervising installations and executing final system sign-offs.

What We Are Looking For (Requirements & Qualifications)

• Ground-Up Allen-Bradley Depth: 2+ years of professional experience designing, building, and programming controls software from scratch using Rockwell / Allen-Bradley platforms (Studio 5000 / RSLogix), beyond simple code troubleshooting.
• Technical Engineering Education: Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Automation Technology, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a closely related technical discipline.
• Field Mobility & Travel Readiness: Willingness to travel domestically 25% to 50% to champion custom integration rollouts, backed by guaranteed weekend comp days.
• Career Reliability: Proven professional stability demonstrating tenure, accountability, and long-term commitment with prior engineering teams.
• Local Commute: Residence within a comfortable 45-minute driving radius of the Greater Milwaukee / Washington County area.
• Legal Authorization: Must be a United States Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident (Green Card holder).

Preferred Technical Assets (Bonus Skills)

• Vision & Motion Integration: Hands-on setup of multi-axis servo motion systems or industrial vision platforms (Cognex, Keyence).
• Advanced Language Coding: High-level programming fluency in C#, VB.NET, or SQL database structures.
• Robotics Experience: Direct path teaching, programming, or integration experience with FANUC or similar industrial robotics.