Controls & Automation Engineering Manager

Sterling Engineering; Buffalo Grove (IL); On-site; USD 96,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Sterling Engineering in Buffalo Grove, IL seeks a hands-on Controls & Automation Engineering Manager to lead the Controls Engineering team supporting a highly automated medical device manufacturing operation.

You will oversee Production Controls Engineers, troubleshoot PLCs and HMIs, drive root cause investigations, implement permanent corrective actions, and partner with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, and OEM suppliers to maximize uptime and reliability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Controls, Mechatronics, or related field.
• 8+ years in industrial controls and automation in manufacturing.
• 3+ years' leadership of controls/automation engineers.
• Experience with PLCs, HMIs, and production equipment.
• Experience with OEMs/vendors on automation issues.
• Strong communication across functions.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of Controls Engineers in daily operations.
• Provide technical leadership for PLC/HMI troubleshooting and upgrades.
• Respond quickly to critical automation issues to minimize downtime.
• Drive root cause analysis and long-term corrective actions.
• Collaborate with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, and OEM partners.
• Ensure compliance with safety, quality, and regulatory requirements.

Skills

Team leadership

PLC troubleshooting

HMI systems

OEM/vendor liaison

Root cause analysis

Industrial networking

Electrical controls

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related

Tools

Allen-Bradley PLCs

Siemens PLCs

Job description

Controls & Automation Engineering Manager

Compensation: Up to $160,000 annually + 10% Annual Bonus

Position Overview

We are seeking a hands‑on Controls & Automation Engineering Manager to lead the Controls Engineering team supporting a highly automated medical device manufacturing operation in Buffalo Grove, IL. This individual will oversee a team of Production Controls Engineers responsible for maintaining, troubleshooting, and continuously improving automated manufacturing equipment to maximize uptime, reliability, and production performance.

Unlike a traditional OEM engineering leadership role, this position requires someone who has spent their career supporting live manufacturing operations where equipment downtime directly impacts production. The ideal candidate understands the urgency of restoring equipment to service, leading root cause investigations, and implementing permanent corrective actions to improve long‑term reliability.

This leader will serve as the technical escalation point for complex controls issues while partnering with Operations, Manufacturing Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, and OEM equipment suppliers to support existing production equipment and future controls upgrades.

Key Responsibilities

Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Controls Engineers supporting day‑to‑day manufacturing operations.

Provide technical leadership for troubleshooting PLC‑controlled automation, HMI systems, industrial controls, and production equipment.

Support production by quickly responding to critical automation and controls issues that impact manufacturing uptime.

Lead root cause investigations and implement corrective actions to eliminate recurring equipment failures.

Partner with Manufacturing, Maintenance, Quality, and Operations to improve equipment reliability, Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), and production performance.

Work directly with OEMs and equipment suppliers to resolve complex controls issues, coordinate upgrades, and implement system improvements.

Evaluate controls modifications and equipment upgrades while ensuring minimal disruption to production.

Support new equipment installations, commissioning, validation, and production startup activities.

Establish controls engineering standards, documentation, and best practices.

Ensure automation systems remain compliant with safety, quality, and regulatory requirements.

Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on reducing downtime, improving reliability, and increasing manufacturing efficiency.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related technical discipline.

8+ years of experience supporting industrial controls and automation within a manufacturing environment.

3+ years of engineering leadership experience managing Controls or Automation Engineers.

Strong hands‑on experience troubleshooting PLC‑controlled manufacturing equipment.

Experience supporting high‑speed automated production equipment in a manufacturing environment.

Proven ability to perform root cause analysis and implement long‑term corrective actions for equipment reliability.

Experience working directly with OEMs and external vendors to resolve automation and controls issues.

Strong understanding of industrial automation, electrical controls, HMIs, industrial networking, and manufacturing equipment.

Excellent communication and leadership skills with the ability to work across Engineering, Operations, Maintenance, and Quality teams.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience within medical device, pharmaceutical, food & beverage, or other high‑volume regulated manufacturing environments.

Experience with Allen‑Bradley and Siemens PLC platforms.

Knowledge of SCADA, machine vision systems, robotics, and motion control.

Experience supporting equipment validation and change control within regulated manufacturing.

Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or Continuous Improvement experience.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a production‑focused Controls Engineering leader who understands the demands of a fast‑paced manufacturing environment. They have built their career supporting live production—not designing equipment for OEMs—and know how to quickly troubleshoot automation issues, restore production, and implement permanent solutions that improve long‑term equipment reliability. They are comfortable leading a technical team, collaborating with OEMs and cross‑functional partners, and balancing immediate production needs with continuous improvement initiatives.