Control Systems Engineer - PLC

KNAPP North America; Greencastle (Franklin County); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401k with employer match

Paid vacation and holidays

Profit sharing

Tuition reimbursement

Parental leave

Job summary

KNAPP North America is seeking a Control Systems Engineer - PLC to support its automated warehouse operations. You will monitor Storage, Conveyor, and Sorter PLC systems, diagnose faults, and guide on-site and remote resources to resolution.

The role requires a Bachelor’s degree in electrical/automation engineering and hands-on PLC troubleshooting with Siemens and Beckhoff platforms, plus strong ITIL-style incident management experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, automation engineering, mechatronics, controls engineering, or related field.
• Strong incident communication, documentation, and cross-team coordination skills.
• Very good Siemens & Beckhoff PLC knowledge with troubleshooting and online diagnostics.

Responsibilities

• Monitor and support PLC-controlled automation to maintain stable warehouse operations.
• Triage control-system incidents; diagnose faults across PLC logic, HMIs, sensors, drives, and industrial networks.
• Restore service by resolving root cause or applying approved workarounds; manage changes and documentation.
• Coordinate with on-site maintenance and remote support; escalate when needed within SLA timelines.
• Communicate system status to stakeholders; provide clear handovers and action plans.
• Maintain accurate tickets and documentation; contribute to trend analysis and continuous improvement.

Skills

Siemens PLC

Beckhoff PLC

Incident communication

Troubleshooting

ITIL incident management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or related field

Tools

Siemens PLC software

Beckhoff TwinCAT

PROFINET

Job description

Who We Are

KNAPP brings new technology to warehouse automation. The KNAPP Group is a global provider of intelligent automation solutions for intralogistics and manufacturing, specializing in the sectors healthcare, fashion/apparel, general retail, food retail, industry and service. We live and breathe automation. We – more than 8,000 employees of the KNAPP Group in over 60 locations worldwide, shaping the future-oriented industry of intralogistics are dedicated to making complexity simple.

One of KNAPP’s primary goals is to use continuous innovation to drive warehouse automation forward, always with the specific needs of the customers in mind. KNAPP Group’s unrelenting development activity is evident in everything from automated order picking systems and continuing refinement of container handling technology to its state-of-the-art, industry leading software solutions.

What You Get To Do

The Control Systems Engineer - PLC provides control-system focused support to keep the Customer’s automated warehouse stable and running. The role monitors and troubleshoots Storage, Conveyor and Sorter PLC-controlled equipment, triages incidents, restores service where possible through structured troubleshooting and approved actions, and coordinates resolution by guiding on-site resources and escalating to the Service Desk, controls development, and other subject matter experts when required.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

• Monitor and support Storage, Conveyor and Sorter PLC-controlled automation to maintain stable warehouse operations and minimize downtime.
• Respond to and triage control-system incidents; diagnose faults across PLC logic, HMIs, sensors/actuators, drives/VFDs, and industrial networks (e.g., PROFINET) within defined scope.
• Restore service by resolving the root cause or applying an approved workaround; initiate and follow Change Request / Problem Management processes for recurring issues or permanent fixes.
• Coordinate with on-site maintenance/controls resources and remote support teams; escort internally when resolution cannot be achieved within operational scope or SLA timelines.
• Communicate system status and incident updates to stakeholders and customer; provide clear shift handovers, including risk, current mitigations, and next actions.
• Maintain accurate tickets and technical documentation (actions taken, backups, versions, and test results) and contribute to trend analysis and continuous improvement measures.

What You Have

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, automation engineering, mechatronics, controls engineering, or a related technical field required
• Strong incident communication, documentation, and cross-team coordination skills (operations/control-room style support).
• Very good Siemens & Beckhoff PLC knowledge (e.g., troubleshooting, online diagnostics, reading/modifying code within approved procedures).
• 3+ years of experience supporting intralogistics automation, including storage systems and conveyor equipment.
• Ability to diagnose faults across PLCs, HMIs, sensors/actuators, drives/VFDs, and industrial networks; comfortable analyzing alarms and tracing issues in PLC logic.
• Good general IT skills and familiarity with ticketing/ITIL-style incident and problem management processes.
• Disciplined approach to change control: backups before changes, approvals, testing prior to production use, documentation, and version control; no unauthorized changes and no safety bypasses.
• Ability to work independently and under pressure in a shift-based environment; strong troubleshooting mindset and hands‑on approach.

Working Conditions and Environment

• Authorization to work in the U.S.
• Passport or ability to obtain passport
• Professional office etiquette is required at all times
• Travel required 30%
• Overtime as required by work
• Physical requirements: sitting for long periods of time, standing, walking, climbing a ladder, speaking, visual acuity, finger dexterity, listening, reaching at arm’s length, and lifting up to 30 pounds

What You Will Get

• Industry competitive compensation
• Great benefits with better than average employer contributions, including health, dental, vision, life insurance, Flexible Spending Accounts, Short & Long Term Disability and more!
• 401k with a very generous employer match and no vesting!
• Paid Vacation & Holidays
• Profit Sharing
• Paid Parental Leave
• Subsidized Daycare
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Pet Insurance

KNAPP is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to a work environment that supports, inspires, and respects all individuals without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, veteran, disability status or any other basis protected by law.

Due to the safety‑sensitive nature of this position, strict adherence to KNAPP’s drug‑free workplace policy is required. All candidates will be subject to drug‑screening in accordance with the policy and will be expected to remain drug‑free during their employment. There will be no exception if recreational or medical use of marijuana is permitted in the location of employment and/or residence or if use of marijuana is only during “off‑hours.”