Control Engineer

Bluewater Hayes Inc.; Grand Rapids (MI); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Life insurance

Paid time off

Paid holidays

401(k) with company match

Tuition reimbursement and career dev

Job summary

Bluewater Hayes Inc. seeks a Controls Engineer to drive the technical direction and growth of our automation capabilities. Reporting to the President, this leadership role combines hands-on design and mentoring to scale our controls team.

You will design, program, and implement automation systems for custom machinery, create standards, and guide a growing group of engineers while maintaining family-friendly hours and travel of less than 25%.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Controls, or Computer Engineering or equivalent.
• 3+ years of controls and automation engineering experience.
• Strong proficiency with Allen Bradley Studio 5000 and/or Siemens TIA Portal.
• Experience with AutoCAD Electrical and 3D CAD tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of complete control systems (schematics, pneumatics, hydraulics, software).
• Create electrical schematics in AutoCAD Electrical with accuracy and consistency.
• Develop and program PLCs and HMIs to integrate robotics, vision, and motion systems.
• Collaborate with mechanical engineering teams to align electrical and mechanical designs.
• Define and configure I/O for PLCs, robots, and field devices.
• Mentor and train junior engineers; lead technical reviews and best practices.
• Manage external resources for panel builds, controls engineering, and robot programming.
• Support startup, debug, and commissioning with minimal travel (<25%).

Skills

Control systems design

Pneumatics

Hydraulics

Industrial protocols

Leadership

Mentoring

Education

Electrical/Controls/Computer Engineering degree

Tools

AutoCAD Electrical

Autodesk Inventor

Allen Bradley Studio 5000

Siemens TIA Portal

Job description

We’re seeking a Controls Engineer to drive the technical direction and growth of our automation and controls capabilities. Reporting directly to the President, this is a key leadership role responsible for both hands-on engineering and guiding the expansion of the controls team.

You’ll oversee the design, programming, and implementation of automation systems for custom machinery while mentoring junior engineers, creating process standards, and helping scale the company for future growth. This role is ideal for an experienced engineer who wants to step into a leadership track while keeping family-friendly hours and minimal travel.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of complete control systems, including schematics, pneumatics, hydraulics, and software integration.
• Create detailed electrical schematics in AutoCAD Electrical, ensuring design accuracy and consistency across projects.
• Develop and program PLCs and HMIs (Allen Bradley / Rockwell Automation Studio 5000 and/or Siemens TIA Portal) to integrate robotics, vision, and motion systems.
• Collaborate closely with mechanical engineering teams using Autodesk Inventor to align electrical and mechanical designs.
• Define and configure I/O for PLCs, robots, and field devices.
• Mentor and train junior engineers; lead technical reviews and ensure best practices are followed.
• Manage external resources for panel builds, controls engineering, and robot programming when required.
• Support startup, debug, and commissioning, primarily local or remote, with minimal travel (<25%).
• Partner directly with the President to establish and refine engineering standards, drive efficiency, and build the controls function for future growth.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in controls and automation engineering.
• Strong proficiency in Allen Bradley / Rockwell Automation Studio 5000 and/or Siemens TIA Portal.
• Skilled in AutoCAD Electrical and familiar with Autodesk Inventor or similar 3D modeling software.
• Solid understanding of pneumatics, hydraulics, servo/motion systems, and industrial communication protocols (EtherNet/IP, ASi, etc.).
• Proven leadership experience, mentoring engineers, managing projects, or setting technical direction.
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Controls, or Computer Engineering, or equivalent industry experience.

Why You’ll Love This Role

• Direct influence: Report to the President and shape the company’s automation roadmap.
• Leadership growth: Opportunity to build and lead a high-performing controls team.
• Hands-on technical work: Stay involved in design and programming while mentoring others.
• Family-friendly schedule: 1st shift, Monday-Friday, 40-45 hours per week, limited overtime.
• Minimal travel: Occasional short trips for commissioning (less than 10%).
• Competitive base salary and annual bonus
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Life insurance, PTO, and paid holidays
• 401(k) with company match
• Tuition reimbursement and career development opportunities