Controls Engineer

Actalent; Nunica (MI); On-site; USD 62,000 - 83,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental & vision

Critical Illness, Accident, and Health

401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and R

Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D)

Short and long-term disability

Health Spending Account (HSA)

Transportation benefits

Employee Assistance Program

Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick)

Job summary

Actalent is seeking a Controls Engineer to lead design, programming, and commissioning of automated manufacturing systems at both the integrator facility in Holland, MI and customer sites in Ohio. You will work on PLC, HMI, robotics, motion, vision, and safety systems, with hands-on offline programming and FAT/SAT participation.

The role requires traveling to customer sites, with a heavy emphasis on startup, commissioning, and ongoing technical support.

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with Allen Bradley PLC programming and development.
• Hands-on experience with Fanuc robot programming and development.
• Proven experience with installation and commissioning of equipment in an integrator environment.
• Ability to design and program PLC, HMI, robotics, vision, motion control, and SCADA systems.
• Experience developing and validating machine safety systems and safety PLC programs.
• Strong troubleshooting skills for automated equipment and production systems.
• Experience configuring industrial networks, drives, distributed I/O, and safety devices.
• Ability to lead controls execution from concept through startup and customer acceptance.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary engineering and project teams.
• Willingness and ability to travel to customer sites for startup, commissioning, and support.

Responsibilities

• Design and program PLC, HMI, robotics, vision, motion control, and SCADA systems for automated manufacturing equipment.
• Develop, implement, and validate machine safety systems, including safety PLC programs that meet applicable standards.
• Commission, debug, and troubleshoot automated equipment and production systems to ensure reliable operation and performance.
• Configure industrial networks, drives, distributed I/O, and safety devices to integrate with overall control architectures.
• Lead controls execution from concept through startup and customer acceptance, ensuring technical quality and schedule adherence.
• Collaborate closely with mechanical, electrical, robotics, and project teams to deliver integrated automation solutions.
• Support project estimating, budgeting, and technical planning by providing controls engineering input and expertise.
• Mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership, guidance, and best practices in controls engineering.
• Travel to customer sites for machine startup, commissioning, and ongoing technical support as required.
• Participate in final offline programming, FAT, SAT, and installation at the customer site.

Skills

Allen Bradley PLC programming

Fanuc robot programming

equipment installation & commissioning

PLC/HMI/SCADA systems

machine safety systems

troubleshooting

industrial networks & drives

travel to customer sites

multidisciplinary collaboration

startup support

Tools

Allen-Bradley PLCs

Fanuc robots

SCADA systems

Job description

Job Title: Controls Engineer

Job Description

The Controls Engineer will lead the design, programming, and commissioning of automated manufacturing systems, supporting final integration activities, installation, and startup at both the integrator facility and the customer site in Ohio. This role focuses on PLC, HMI, robotics, motion, vision, and safety systems, and requires hands-on involvement in offline programming, factory and site acceptance testing, and machine install and support.

Responsibilities

• Design and program PLC, HMI, robotics, vision, motion control, and SCADA systems for automated manufacturing equipment.
• Develop, implement, and validate machine safety systems, including safety PLC programs that meet applicable standards.
• Commission, debug, and troubleshoot automated equipment and production systems to ensure reliable operation and performance.
• Configure industrial networks, drives, distributed I/O, and safety devices to integrate with overall control architectures.
• Lead controls execution from concept through startup and customer acceptance, ensuring technical quality and schedule adherence.
• Collaborate closely with mechanical, electrical, robotics, and project teams to deliver integrated automation solutions.
• Support project estimating, budgeting, and technical planning by providing controls engineering input and expertise.
• Mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership, guidance, and best practices in controls engineering.
• Travel to customer sites for machine startup, commissioning, and ongoing technical support as required.
• Participate in final offline programming, Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), Site Acceptance Testing (SAT), and installation at the customer site.

Essential Skills

• Hands-on experience in Allen Bradley PLC programming and development.
• Hands-on experience in Fanuc robot programming and development.
• Proven experience with installation and commissioning of equipment in an integrator environment.
• Ability to design and program PLC, HMI, robotics, vision, motion control, and SCADA systems.
• Experience developing and validating machine safety systems and safety PLC programs.
• Strong troubleshooting skills for automated equipment and production systems.
• Experience configuring industrial networks, drives, distributed I/O, and safety devices.
• Ability to lead controls execution from concept through startup and customer acceptance.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary engineering and project teams.
• Willingness and ability to travel to customer sites for startup, commissioning, and support.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience participating in offline programming, FAT, SAT, and machine installation at customer sites.
• Background working with automation integrators and contract engineering environments.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and provide technical leadership to junior engineers.
• Strong organizational and planning skills to support project estimating, budgeting, and technical planning.
• Comfort working in fast-paced project environments with changing priorities and timelines.

Work Environment

This position is primarily onsite at an automation integrator facility in Holland, Michigan through September, working approximately 48 hours per week Monday through Friday. As the project approaches Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), weekly hours are expected to increase to the mid-50s. In October, work shifts to the customer site in Ohio, where you can expect to work 60-80 hours per week, including weekends, to support installation, commissioning, and startup activities. The role is highly hands-on with automated manufacturing equipment and controls systems, and involves close collaboration with mechanical, electrical, robotics, and project teams in a dynamic, project-driven environment.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Nunica, MI.

Pay And Benefits

The pay range for this position is $45.00 - $60.00/hr.

• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave) Workplace Type This is a fully onsite position in Nunica,MI. Application Deadline This position is anticipated to close on Aug 24, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [e-mail] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.