Controls Design Engineer

HRU-Tech; Lansing (MI); On-site; USD 100,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

HRU-Tech in Lansing, MI, seeks a Controls Software Design Engineer to design, program, troubleshoot, and commission custom machine control systems for high-volume automotive manufacturing. You will lead from controls design to startup, with strong ownership and hands-on collaboration with shop-floor teams.

The role requires a Bachelor's in controls/ electrical/ automation and 5–7 years of machine controls experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Controls, Electrical, Automation Engineering or related field.
• 5–7 years of experience in machine controls or industrial automation.
• Experience with Allen-Bradley, Siemens and/or Fanuc PLCs; HMI programming.

Responsibilities

• Design and program machine control systems, PLCs, and HMIs.
• Develop electrical control layouts focusing on safety, reliability and efficiency.
• Lead controls design reviews and support projects from concept through production.
• Work hands-on with manufacturing and service teams during build, startup and commissioning.
• Troubleshoot controls issues and provide technical support to customers and service teams.
• Evaluate new automation technologies and recommend improvements.

Skills

PLC programming

HMI programming

Electrical control design

Troubleshooting

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Controls/Electrical/Automation Engineering

Tools

Allen-Bradley

Siemens

Fanuc PLCs

EPLAN

AutoCAD Electrical

SolidWorks

Job description

Candidate Requirements:

This role is open ONLY to US Citizens as all candidates must be ITAR compliant (International Traffic & Arms Regulations). Candidates who are H1B or F1 (OPT/CPT) candidates are NOT permitted in this role. This role is NOT open to corp2corp (C2C) or corp2hire (C2H).

Controls Software Design Engineer

Lansing, MI | Direct Hire | Onsite | Low Travel

$100,000–$110,000 + OT after 40 hours + DT after 58 hours

Are you a Controls Engineer who likes seeing your work come to life on the shop floor? This is an opportunity to design, program, troubleshoot, and commission custom machine control systems supporting high-volume automotive manufacturing. You’ll work in a collaborative engineering environment with significant ownership—from controls design and PLC programming through machine build, startup, debugging, run-off, and customer acceptance.

What You’ll Do

• Design and program machine control systems, PLCs, and HMIs
• Develop electrical control layouts focused on safety, reliability, and efficiency
• Lead controls design reviews and support projects from concept through production
• Work hands-on with manufacturing and service teams during build, startup, and commissioning
• Troubleshoot controls issues and provide technical support to customers and service teams
• Evaluate new automation technologies and recommend improvements

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree in Controls, Electrical, Automation Engineering, or related field
• 5–7 years of experience in machine controls, machine tools, or industrial automation
• Experience with Allen-Bradley, Siemens, and/or Fanuc PLCs
• HMI programming and industrial controls experience
• Familiarity with EPLAN, AutoCAD Electrical, SolidWorks, or similar tools
• Strong troubleshooting, analytical, and communication skills
• Automotive or powertrain experience is a plus

Why Consider It?

• $100K–$110K base + significant overtime opportunity
• Direct-hire position
• Lansing-area onsite role with only ~5% travel
• Hands-on engineering - not just PLC programming from a desk
• Own projects from concept to design to build to startup to customer acceptance
• Work on custom automation and machine-tool systems supporting major automotive manufacturers
• Strong opportunity for technical growth and leadership

EOE (including Disability/Veterans)

HRUSkilled