Controls Technician III

The Employee Connect; San Leandro (CA); On-site; USD 52,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

The Employee Connect is seeking an experienced Controls Technician III for an onsite, six‑month contract in San Leandro, California. The role leads troubleshooting and maintenance of PLCs, HMIs, drives, and instrumentation to keep production running safely and reliably.

The candidate will diagnose logic faults, modify under change control, support commissioning, and maintain thorough documentation of controls and wiring. Strong safety discipline and on‑site availability are required.

Qualifications

• Extensive hands-on experience as a controls, automation, or instrumentation technician in a manufacturing environment.
• Ability to read electrical schematics, ladder logic, and control drawings.
• Electrical safety competency including lockout/tagout and arc flash awareness; onsite availability for full assignment.
• Preferred: experience with Allen-Bradley or Siemens platforms; familiarity with EtherNet/IP, Profibus, DeviceNet.
• Associate degree or technical certification in electrical technology, automation, mechatronics, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Troubleshoot, maintain, and repair automated production equipment and control systems to restore downtime quickly and safely.
• Diagnose faults in PLCs, HMIs, drives, and instrumentation; modify under change control and assist commissioning.
• Document changes, maintain program backups and drawings; support root cause analysis and history trend review.
• Ensure safety systems and electrical enclosures remain functional and compliant; support continuous improvement.

Skills

PLC troubleshooting

VFD/motor control

Electrical schematics

Ladder logic

Control drawings

Electrical safety (LOTO, arc flash)

Industrial automation

Education

Associate degree in Electrical Technology

Technical certification in automation

Tools

Allen-Bradley

Siemens

EtherNet/IP

Profibus

DeviceNet

HMI/SCADA platforms

Job description

Controls Technician III

Location: San Leandro, California

Pay Rate: $38.00 – $40.00 per hour

Position Overview

Our client, an industrial automation and production organization, is seeking an experienced Controls Technician for an onsite, six-month contract engagement in San Leandro, California. The role owns the automation and control systems that keep production equipment operating reliably and safely. This is a senior technical position for someone who is confident with PLCs, drives, and instrumentation and who can diagnose a control problem methodically rather than by trial and error. It offers substantive automation work in an established facility.

Key Responsibilities

• You will troubleshoot, maintain, and repair automated production equipment and control systems, diagnosing faults across PLCs, HMIs, variable frequency drives, servo systems, sensors, and field instrumentation to restore production quickly and safely.
• You will work within PLC programs to diagnose logic‑related faults, make approved modifications under change control, and support the commissioning of new or relocated equipment. HMI screen adjustments and drive parameter configuration fall within the role.
• You will calibrate and verify instrumentation, maintain control panels and electrical enclosures, trace and repair control wiring, and ensure that machine safety systems including interlocks, light curtains, and emergency stop circuits remain functional and compliant at all times.
• You will document control system changes, wiring modifications, and maintenance work accurately, maintain current copies of programs and drawings, support continuous improvement projects aimed at reducing downtime, and provide technical guidance to maintenance and production colleagues.
• You will maintain accurate control system documentation including current program backups, revision history, and as‑built electrical drawings, recognizing that undocumented changes are a primary cause of extended downtime later. You will also support root cause analysis on recurring faults, using historical data, alarm logs, and trend information to distinguish genuine control issues from mechanical or process problems.

Requirements

• Substantial prior experience as a controls, automation, or instrumentation technician in a manufacturing or industrial environment is required, consistent with a senior‑level position.
• You must have hands‑on troubleshooting capability with PLC‑controlled equipment, working knowledge of variable frequency drives and motor control, and the ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, ladder logic, and control drawings.
• Electrical safety competency is mandatory, including lockout/tagout, arc flash awareness, and safe work practice around energized equipment. You must be available onsite for the full assignment, including response to breakdowns outside standard hours where required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands‑on experience with Allen‑Bradley or Siemens platforms and their programming environments is strongly preferred. Familiarity with industrial networks such as EtherNet/IP, Profibus, or DeviceNet is highly valued.
• An associate degree or technical certification in electrical technology, automation, mechatronics, or a related discipline is preferred. Robotics or vision system experience, SCADA exposure, and experience in food, beverage, or other regulated manufacturing are all advantageous.
• Experience with HMI and SCADA development platforms is valued, as is exposure to data historians and production reporting systems. Familiarity with machine safety standards and safety‑rated control components, experience commissioning new equipment alongside OEM engineers, and any PLC programming from scratch all strengthen an application.

Compensation and Benefits

This engagement pays an hourly rate in the range of $38.00 to $40.00, based on experience and demonstrated technical depth, across a six‑month contract with a defined end date.

You will take genuine technical ownership of the control systems on site, working with a range of automation platforms and equipment in an established operation. The role builds a highly transferable automation skill set, and extension or conversion may be possible subject to performance and organizational need.

This is a contract engagement placed through our recruiting team. We work closely with our contract professionals throughout the assignment, from onboarding and first‑week check‑ins through to end‑of‑contract planning, and we actively look for the next opportunity for people who deliver well. Many of our contract placements lead to extensions, repeat assignments, or permanent conversion.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Reasonable accommodations are available during the application and interview process on request. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for the duration of the engagement.