Controls Technician

Liberty Personnel Services, Inc.; Louisville (KY); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacation & sick time

Health insurance for employees

401(k) plan

Dental

Short- and long-term disability

Life insurance

Cancer insurance

Job summary

Liberty Personnel Services, Inc. seeks a hands-on controls technician to design, wire, test and commission PLC/HMI-based control systems for industrial water recycling installations across mining, energy, municipal, pulp & paper, and building sectors in Louisville, KY.

You will travel to client sites, configure instrumentation, troubleshoot PLCs and HMIs, and train customers, turning drawings into reliable field-operating systems with a focus on startup and service.

Qualifications

• 1-3+ years in PLC/HMI programming, SCADA development, industrial electrician work, or control panel fabrication.
• Background in PLC programming, relay control logic, and HMI programming.
• Ability to work with industrial instrumentation and control components.
• Proficiency in AutoCAD for reviewing schematics, specifications, and drawings.
• Solid analog and digital circuit knowledge, including 4-20mA circuits.
• Hands-on experience with electrical engineering tools and test equipment.
• Strong problem-solving and detail orientation; good communication with customers.

Responsibilities

• Travel to customer sites to set up and commission control systems for seamless startup.
• Provide on-site technical assistance and startup training to customer personnel.
• Test and configure instrumentation to meet operational and project requirements.
• Troubleshoot PLC programs and touchscreen HMIs to optimize system performance.
• Conduct shop testing of control panels, starter panels, and automation systems.
• Document systems and start-up activities with clear reports; record data per procedures.
• Serve as a technical resource for automation inquiries; collaborate with customers and suppliers.
• Support a broad range of industrial applications for water recycling equipment.
• Balance multiple projects to meet schedule and quality expectations.

Job description

Build and tune the control systems that keep industry's water flowing

You'll be the go-to controls technician for industrial water recycling systems powering mining, energy, municipal, pulp & paper, and building-sector operations.

You take a rough control panel and turn it into a reliable, dialed-in automation system in the field.

From the shop floor to remote customer sites, you'll wire, test, configure, debug, and commission the PLC/HMI-based controls that keep critical processes running.

You won't just "fix boxes" - you'll own implementation, startup, and customer training across a wide range of industrial applications.

If you've touched PLCs, HMIs, or control panels and want more hands-on impact, we want to talk to you.

What You'll Work On

You’ll live at the intersection of automation, instrumentation, and field service for industrial water recycling systems:

• PLC and touchscreen HMI-based control systems
• Industrial instrumentation and 4-20mA circuits
• Control panels, starter panels, and automation systems
• SCADA and industrial control solutions
• Electrical and relay control logic
• OEM water recycling equipment for sand/aggregate and minerals
• Systems serving municipal, energy, pulp & paper, and building sectors
• Customer training and technical support environments

You’ll be testing, configuring, and debugging controls and instrumentation to meet project-specific requirements and real-world operating conditions.

Your core challenge: take complex control systems from drawings and panels to smooth, reliable operation in the field.

What You'll Be Doing

• Traveling to customer sites to set up and commission control systems for seamless startup
• Providing on-site technical assistance and startup training to customer personnel
• Testing and configuring instrumentation to meet operational and project-specific requirements
• Troubleshooting PLC programs and touchscreen HMIs to optimize system performance
• Conducting shop testing of control panels, starter panels, and automation systems
• Documenting systems, processes, and start-up activities with clear, thorough reports
• Recording technical data in compliance with engineering policies and procedures
• Serving as a key technical resource for automation-related inquiries
• Collaborating with customers and suppliers during commissioning and troubleshooting
• Supporting a broad range of industrial applications for water recycling equipment
• Balancing multiple projects and priorities to meet schedule and quality expectations

What We're Looking For

• 1-3+ years of experience in PLC and HMI programming, SCADA development, industrial electrician work, and/or control panel fabrication
• Background in PLC programming, relay control logic, and HMI programming
• Ability to work with industrial instrumentation and control components
• Proficiency in AutoCAD for reviewing schematics, specifications, and drawings
• Solid analog and digital circuit knowledge, including 4-20mA circuits
• Hands-on experience with electrical engineering tools and test equipment
• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail
• Clear communication and teamwork skills with customers and internal stakeholders
• Ability to manage multiple projects and shifting priorities
• Comfort using spreadsheet and word processing applications for documentation and reporting

The Experience That Will Really Get Our Attention

You’ve been around industrial controls enough to be dangerous: maybe building or wiring panels, maybe tweaking PLC logic, maybe being the person on-site who actually makes the system work when it counts. You’re comfortable with a meter in your hand, a laptop on the panel, and customers looking to you for answers.

If you can read and mark up AutoCAD schematics, chase down issues in 4-20mA loops, and walk an operator through a new HMI screen without breaking a sweat, you'll stand out fast.

Why This Opportunity?

This is a full-time role with a growing OEM engineering group where your work directly impacts mission-critical industrial water recycling operations across multiple industries.

You’ll work closely with the Automation & Controls Manager, gaining exposure to a wide range of control system projects instead of being locked into a single plant or line.

The company offers paid vacation and sick time, company-paid health insurance for employees, and optional benefits including 401(k), dental, short- and long-term disability, life insurance, and cancer insurance.

Work Location: In-person in Louisville, KY.

Travel: 25-35% domestic travel to client sites for commissioning and troubleshooting.