Controls Systems Engineer / Electrical Automation Engineer

United Employment Group; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

United Employment Group in Phoenix, AZ seeks a Controls Systems Engineer to support, maintain, and enhance automation, electrical controls, and manufacturing information systems on the plant floor. You will work with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, IT, contractors, and OEMs to diagnose and resolve equipment issues, focusing on PLCs, HMIs, drives, SCADA, and networking.

The role emphasizes troubleshooting, continuous improvement, and collaboration across cross-functional teams on site.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field; or Licensed Journeyman Electrician with advanced PLC/Automation certification and equivalent industrial experience
• Minimum 5 years of industrial automation and controls experience in a manufacturing environment
• Experience programming Allen Bradley PLC platforms, including ControlLogix and CompactLogix
• Experience with Allen Bradley PowerFlex drives
• Experience developing and troubleshooting HMI systems
• Experience with Ignition SCADA
• Strong SQL database knowledge and development experience
• Experience integrating manufacturing equipment with ERP and manufacturing systems
• Knowledge of Ethernet/IP and industrial networking systems
• Strong electrical and controls troubleshooting skills
• Excellent communication, organizational, and project management skills

Responsibilities

• Design, program, troubleshoot, modify, and maintain Allen Bradley ControlLogix and CompactLogix PLCs
• Maintain and troubleshoot Allen Bradley PowerFlex drives
• Maintain and troubleshoot Allen Bradley PanelView HMIs
• Support servo systems, motion controls, and associated automation equipment
• Maintain industrial Ethernet communication networks
• Modify PLC and HMI programs to improve equipment reliability and functionality
• Implement machine safety logic, interlocks, and control strategies
• Diagnose and resolve electrical, controls, instrumentation, communications, and automation faults
• Support installation, startup, commissioning, and validation of new equipment and control systems
• Develop and maintain standardized programming practices, electrical documentation, and control narratives
• Maintain backups and revision control of PLC, HMI, SCADA, and drive programs
• Develop, maintain, and improve Ignition applications
• Create dashboards, alarm management systems, reports, and historian configurations
• Configure user security and role based access controls
• Develop scripting and automation within Ignition
• Support manufacturing data acquisition and visualization initiatives
• Troubleshoot data collection, historian performance, and system integration issues
• Maintain SQL databases supporting manufacturing operations
• Develop SQL queries, stored procedures, reports, and data analytics tools
• Interface production equipment with SQL based ERP and business systems
• Support manufacturing KPI reporting, production analytics, and operational decision making
• Troubleshoot data integrity and communication issues between manufacturing equipment and enterprise systems
• Support industrial automation networks integrated with corporate IT infrastructure utilizing dedicated VLANs
• Configure, maintain, and troubleshoot managed Ethernet switches, Ethernet/IP communications, industrial network devices, VLAN communications
• Coordinate with Corporate IT regarding cybersecurity, firewall configurations, network architecture, and system updates
• Actively participate in troubleshooting and resolving equipment failures alongside maintenance technicians, engineers, and operations personnel
• Lead root cause investigations for recurring equipment and process issues
• Develop corrective actions and long term solutions to eliminate repetitive failures
• Create preventive and predictive maintenance strategies for automation and controls systems
• Track equipment downtime, failure frequencies, and reliability metrics
• Provide technical training and mentorship to maintenance personnel and electrical trades
• Lead controls modernization, automation upgrades, and continuous improvement projects
• Evaluate obsolete hardware and develop replacement and migration strategies
• Support capital projects from concept development through commissioning and startup
• Review and participate in equipment modifications and capital installations while ensuring compliance with applicable engineering standards
• Facilitate risk assessments, value analyses, and engineering studies to support repair, replacement, or redesign decisions
• Manage contractor and OEM activities during equipment repairs, upgrades, and installations
• Develop engineering solutions that improve safety, reliability, productivity, quality, and operational efficiency

Skills

Strong communication

Organizational skills

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree / Journeyman Electrician with PLC cert

Tools

Rockwell Studio 5000

FactoryTalk

OPC UA

SSRS

Power BI

SQL Server Reporting Services

Job description

Job Description

Job Description

As a Controls Systems Engineer, you will support, maintain, and improve the automation, electrical controls, industrial networking, and manufacturing information systems across the facility. Your primary focus will be on PLCs, HMIs, drives, SCADA systems, and industrial networking, with a strong emphasis on troubleshooting and continuous improvement. You'll work closely with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, IT, contractors, and OEMs, and you'll spend frequent time on the production floor diagnosing and resolving equipment issues.

Key Responsibilities:

Industrial Automation & Controls

• Design, program, troubleshoot, modify, and maintain Allen Bradley ControlLogix and CompactLogix PLCs
• Maintain and troubleshoot Allen Bradley PowerFlex Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs)
• Maintain and troubleshoot Allen Bradley PanelView HMIs
• Support servo systems, motion controls, and associated automation equipment
• Maintain industrial Ethernet communication networks
• Modify PLC and HMI programs to improve equipment reliability and functionality
• Implement machine safety logic, interlocks, and control strategies
• Diagnose and resolve electrical, controls, instrumentation, communications, and automation faults
• Support installation, startup, commissioning, and validation of new equipment and control systems
• Develop and maintain standardized programming practices, electrical documentation, and control narratives
• Maintain backups and revision control of PLC, HMI, SCADA, and drive programs

SCADA & Manufacturing Systems

• Develop, maintain, and improve Ignition applications
• Create dashboards, alarm management systems, reports, and historian configurations
• Configure user security and role based access controls
• Develop scripting and automation within Ignition
• Support manufacturing data acquisition and visualization initiatives
• Troubleshoot data collection, historian performance, and system integration issues

SQL & ERP Integration

• Maintain SQL databases supporting manufacturing operations
• Develop SQL queries, stored procedures, reports, and data analytics tools
• Interface production equipment with SQL based ERP and business systems
• Support manufacturing KPI reporting, production analytics, and operational decision making
• Troubleshoot data integrity and communication issues between manufacturing equipment and enterprise systems

Industrial Networking & Cybersecurity

• Support industrial automation networks integrated with corporate IT infrastructure utilizing dedicated VLANs
• Configure, maintain, and troubleshoot managed Ethernet switches, Ethernet/IP communications, industrial network devices, VLAN communications, and overall network reliability and performance
• Coordinate with Corporate IT regarding cybersecurity, firewall configurations, network architecture, and system updates

Maintenance & Operations Support

• Actively participate in troubleshooting and resolving equipment failures alongside maintenance technicians, engineers, and operations personnel
• Lead root cause investigations for recurring equipment and process issues
• Develop corrective actions and long term solutions to eliminate repetitive failures
• Create preventive and predictive maintenance strategies for automation and controls systems
• Track equipment downtime, failure frequencies, and reliability metrics
• Provide technical training and mentorship to maintenance personnel and electrical trades

Engineering & Continuous Improvement

• Lead controls modernization, automation upgrades, and continuous improvement projects
• Evaluate obsolete hardware and develop replacement and migration strategies
• Support capital projects from concept development through commissioning and startup
• Review and participate in equipment modifications and capital installations while ensuring compliance with applicable engineering standards
• Facilitate risk assessments, value analyses, and engineering studies to support repair, replacement, or redesign decisions
• Manage contractor and OEM activities during equipment repairs, upgrades, and installations
• Develop engineering solutions that improve safety, reliability, productivity, quality, and operational efficiency

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related engineering discipline; or a Licensed Journeyman Electrician with advanced PLC/Automation certification and equivalent industrial experience
• Minimum 5 years of industrial automation and controls experience in a manufacturing environment
• Experience programming Allen Bradley PLC platforms, including ControlLogix and CompactLogix
• Experience with Allen Bradley PowerFlex drives
• Experience developing and troubleshooting HMI systems
• Experience with Ignition SCADA
• Strong SQL database knowledge and development experience
• Experience integrating manufacturing equipment with ERP and manufacturing systems
• Knowledge of Ethernet/IP and industrial networking systems
• Strong electrical and controls troubleshooting skills
• Excellent communication, organizational, and project management skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in metals manufacturing or other continuous manufacturing operations
• Experience with Rockwell Studio 5000
• Experience with FactoryTalk products
• Experience with OPC UA communications
• Knowledge of industrial cybersecurity best practices
• Experience with SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), Microsoft Power BI, and Microsoft Fabric
• Understanding of ISA 95 manufacturing architecture

Company Description

United Employment Group, Inc. is a search and placement firm specializing in Concrete Products and Construction, Metals, Refrigeration, Engineering/Surveying and Plastic Industries.