Controls Engineer: PLC & Automation Upgrades

Appvion, Inc.; Appleton (WI); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Appvion, Inc. seeks a Controls Engineer to apply hands-on controls expertise in a manufacturing environment, improving safety, reliability, quality, and performance at our Appleton facility.

You will design and upgrade control systems, troubleshoot complex equipment, and support automation upgrades while partnering with skilled trades, operations, and engineering teams on site. This role suits engineers who value practical problem-solving and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent.
• Four or more years of experience programming PLCs, HMIs, and variable-speed drives.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot industrial electrical controls and support manufacturing operations.

Responsibilities

• Build and sustain a safe work environment by supporting practices that reduce risk and prevent workforce incidents and injuries.
• Design, engineer, and implement control system changes and upgrades that improve manufacturing performance and equipment reliability.
• Partner with electrical shop, maintenance, operations, and engineering teams to troubleshoot PLCs, drives, three‑phase starters, instrumentation, and field sensors.
• Program and troubleshoot automation systems, including Rockwell ControlLogix, Rockwell PLC-5, Reliance AutoMax PLCs and drives, Rockwell 1336 drives, Rockwell PowerFlex drives, ABB drives, Rockwell Batch, Rockwell PanelView, Rockwell FactoryTalk View, and Wonderware HMI.
• Support and troubleshoot control hardware communication protocols, including Ethernet, Rockwell Remote I/O, Data Highway Plus, ControlNet, Reliance DCS-Net, and Reliance R-Net.
• Create, revise, and maintain electrical and P&ID AutoCAD drawings that keep technical documentation accurate and useful.
• Upgrade control system servers and resolve server‑related issues that affect uptime, reliability, and plant operations.

Skills

PLCs programming

HMIs programming

Variable-speed drives

Troubleshooting electrical controls

Electrical safety awareness

Education

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Rockwell ControlLogix

Rockwell PLC-5

Reliance AutoMax PLCs

Rockwell PanelView

Wonderware HMI

ABB drives

Rockwell FactoryTalk View

Job description

Appvion, Inc. seeks a Controls Engineer to apply hands-on controls expertise in a manufacturing environment, improving safety, reliability, quality, and performance at our Appleton facility.

You will design and upgrade control systems, troubleshoot complex equipment, and support automation upgrades while partnering with skilled trades, operations, and engineering teams on site. This role suits engineers who value practical problem-solving and continuous improvement.