Controls Engineer III – Robotics Integration Team

Adaptec Solutions, LLC; New York (NY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Generous PTO and holidays

Health, dental, vision, 401(k) match

Job summary

Adaptec Solutions seeks a Controls Engineer III for the Robotics Integration Team in Painted Post, NY. The role focuses on robot-centered automation cells, PLC coordination, and safe, precise motion control.

Responsibilities include PLC architecture, servo motion tuning, HMI development, and commissioning with customers. Competitive salary ranges with relocation assistance are provided, plus comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• 4–6 years of hands-on controls engineering in robotics-enabled industrial automation.
• Experience with Allen-Bradley or Siemens PLC/HMI and robot integration.
• Strong fault-tolerant recovery, troubleshooting, and customer-facing skills.
• Knowledge of safety PLCs and plant safety practices.

Responsibilities

• Design PLC architectures, I/O mapping, sequencing, interlocks, and recovery logic.
• Develop industrial communication networks (EtherNet/IP, Profinet, Modbus).
• Review electrical schematics and implement improvements.
• Configure and tune servo motion systems and VFDs for coordinated motion.
• Develop and validate safety PLC logic per risk assessments.
• Ensure robot cell safety with interlocks and safe I/O design.
• Develop HMI with navigation, diagnostics, alarms, trending, recipes, and data logging.
• Create operation manuals, training materials, and system documentation.
• Contribute to standardization: AOIs/FBs, templates, code libraries.
• Mentor Level II engineers on programming and debugging practices.
• Support commissioning: debugging, bring-up, FAT/SAT, and customer support.

Skills

Controls engineering

PLC/HMI platforms

Robot brands

Robot programming

Motion control

HMI development

Industrial networks

Safety systems

EOAT & peripherals

Electrical design

Troubleshooting

Ownership

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in electrical or mechanical engineering or related field

Tools

AutoCAD Electrical

TwinCAT

Job description

Adaptec Solutions

Controls Engineer III – Robotics Integration Team

Painted Post, NY 14870

Salary: 120,000.00 - 145,000.00 USD / YEAR

Location: Painted Post NY

Salary: $120,000.00 – $145,000.00 base salary + bonus

Travel: 10% (Travel is typically for customer acceptance activities; may include overnights)

Manages Others: No

Relocation: Yes, this position is eligible for relocation assistance

Education: Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, Mechanical Engineering or related field is strongly preferred (candidates with 8+ years of directly related experience may be considered in lieu of a degree).

Experience: Minimum of 4 - 6 years controls engineering in robotics‑enabled industrial automation, with proficiency in Allen‑Bradley or Siemens plus at least one major robot family (e.g., FANUC, ABB, KUKA, Yaskawa, UR). Strong troubleshooting skills.

Position Overview

The Robotics Integration team delivers robot‑centered automation cells where the robot is the primary motion element—machine tending, assembly, welding, material transfer, and more. These systems require tight PLC–robot coordination, precise motion, robust safety, and integration with vision, sensors, and EOAT. Unlike warehouse‑scale automation, this work is high precision, cell‑level, and interaction‑heavy, focused on cycle time, repeatability, and coordinated machine‑to‑robot behavior.

Key Responsibilities

• Controls & PLC System Design
• Review and validate sales and project documentation to ensure robotics concepts are feasible.
• Translate specifications into PLC architectures, I/O mapping, sequencing, interlocks, and recovery logic.
• Design and implement industrial communication networks (EtherNet/IP, Profinet, Modbus, etc.).
• Review electrical schematics and identify discrepancies or improvements.
• Motion, Drives & Safety Systems
• Configure and tune servo motion systems and VFDs for coordinated robotic and machine motion.
• Develop and validate safety PLC logic per risk assessment requirements.
• Ensure compliance with robot cell safety standards through interlocks, zone control, and safe I/O design.
• HMI Development
• Navigation structure
• Diagnostics and fault messages
• Alarms, trending, recipes, and data logging
• Ensure operators have intuitive tools for startup, recovery, and troubleshooting.
• Commissioning & Customer Support
• Execute full commissioning lifecycle:
• Debug and machine bring‑up
• Robot path verification
• FAT and SAT execution
• Troubleshoot complex system issues quickly and effectively during startup.
• Develop operation manuals, training materials, and full system documentation.
• Contribute to standardization initiatives: reusable AOIs/FBs, robot templates, HMI templates, code libraries.
• Provide informal mentoring to Level II engineers on robot programming, controls design, and debug best practices.

Qualifications

Technical Experience

• 4–6 years of hands‑on controls engineering experience in custom industrial automation with robotic integration (robot‑centric cells, machine‑to‑machine interaction).
• PLC/HMI platforms: Allen‑Bradley (Studio 5000/FactoryTalk) and/or Siemens (TIA Portal/Simatic); Beckhoff (TwinCAT) is a plus.
• Robot brands: Proficiency with at least one major platform (FANUC, ABB, KUKA, Yaskawa/Motoman, UR), including payloads, frames, paths, I/O, and fault recovery.
• Programming: Ladder, Structured Text, SFC/FBD; strong code organization, sequencer logic, alarms, diagnostics, and fault‑tolerant recovery.
• Motion & drives: Servo tuning, coordinated motion, and VFD
• HMI development: Advanced features—navigation, diagnostics, alarms, trending, recipes, and data logging.
• Industrial networks: EtherNet/IP, Profinet, Modbus, and safety networks.
• Safety & risk assessment: Experience implementing safety PLC logic, interlocks, guarding, and validation informed by risk assessments (robot cell safety practices).
• EOAT & peripherals: Familiarity with grippers, tooling, part presentation/fixturing, sensors, pneumatics/hydraulics, and vision tools.
• Electrical design literacy: Interpret electrical schematics; AutoCAD Electrical familiarity preferred.
• Troubleshooting: Efficient root‑cause analysis during debug and startup; strong customer‑facing communication.
• Ownership mindset; able to work independently within a collaborative, multi‑disciplinary team.
• Clear communicator with customers and internal teams; organized and responsive.

Why Join Adaptec Solutions

• Diverse automation challenges across industries.
• Highly collaborative environment with mentoring and peer review.
• Exposure to advanced PLC, safety, and motion control technologies.

About Adaptec Solutions

Adaptec Solutions is a leader in custom automation and material handling systems - designing, building, and integrating solutions that drive manufacturing and distribution performance. Our teams are made up of creative problem solvers who thrive on tackling complex automation challenges for customers across multiple industries.

In compliance with pay transparency requirements, the wage range for this role is$120,000.00 – $145,000.00. The rate range provided is a general guideline. When extending an offer, Adaptec Solutions considers factors including, but not limited to experience and geographic location. Adaptec Solutions also offers a variety of benefits including generous paid time off (PTO), 11 paid company holidays including your birthday, generous health plans, dental and vision insurance, HSA/FSA accounts, generous 401(k) match and immediate vesting, short-term/long term disability coverage and basic life/AD&D insurance and education assistance.

Adaptec Solutions, LLC is an equal opportunity organization. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state or local law.

Equal Opportunity Employer, including disabled and veterans.