Experienced Controls Engineer

PAR Systems; Shoreview (MN); On-site; USD 95,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

PAR Systems designs and builds custom automation systems that solve complex manufacturing challenges across medical device, aerospace, and defense sectors. Our solutions are engineered to solve our customers’ most complex challenges, not pulled from a catalog.

You will work on technically challenging systems incorporating robots, vision, lasers, and advanced motion. As a Controls Engineer at PAR, you will contribute to or lead the controls scope of projects, translate requirements into

Qualifications

• A relevant engineering, computer science, automation, or technical background through education and/or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Translating customer and system requirements into a controls architecture and technical approach.
• Designing, programming, and integrating PLC, HMI, motion, robotics, vision, and other automation technologies.
• Bringing equipment to life through power-up, debug, commissioning, and process optimization.
• Troubleshooting complex hardware, software, and system-level problems.
• Supporting design reviews, Factory Acceptance Testing, installation, and Site Acceptance Testing.
• Partnering with mechanical, electrical, software, project management, operations, and quality teams throughout the project lifecycle.
• At more senior levels, owning controls execution for entire production lines, providing technical direction, mentoring other engineers, and helping teams solve their toughest automation challenges.

Skills

Automation

Controls engineering

Troubleshooting

Team collaboration

AI workflow

US Persons

Travel 0-10%

Education

Engineering background

Tools

Allen-Bradley Studio 5000

Siemens TIA Portal

Omron Sysmac Studio

Beckhoff TwinCAT

FactoryTalk View

Inductive Automation Ignition

FANUC

Epson

KUKA

Cognex

Keyence

Visual Studio

C#

VB

AutoCAD Electrical

ePLAN

Job description

Controls Engineer – Multiple Career Levels

PAR Systems designs and builds custom automation systems that solve complex manufacturing challenges across industries including medical device, aerospace, and defense. Our solutions are engineered to solve our customers’ most complex challenges, not pulled from a catalog. You will have the opportunity to work on technically challenging systems incorporating robots, vision, complex motion, lasers, and more.

We're looking for Controls Engineers across multiple career levels. Levels are based on the experience, technical depth, independence, and leadership each candidate brings, not whether they've worked with every technology or tool we use. If your background is in custom automation and you enjoy figuring out how to make complex machines work, we'd like to hear from you, even if your experience doesn't match every technology listed below.

What You'll Own

As a Controls Engineer at PAR, you'll help bring custom automated equipment from concept to production. Depending on your experience, you may contribute to or independently lead the controls scope of a project, including:

• Translating customer and system requirements into a controls architecture and technical approach.
• Designing, programming, and integrating PLC, HMI, motion, robotics, vision, and other automation technologies.
• Bringing equipment to life through power-up, debug, commissioning, and process optimization.
• Troubleshooting complex hardware, software, and system-level problems.
• Supporting design reviews, Factory Acceptance Testing, installation, and Site Acceptance Testing.
• Partnering with mechanical, electrical, software, project management, operations, and quality teams throughout the project lifecycle.
• At more senior levels, owning controls execution for entire production lines, providing technical direction, mentoring other engineers, and helping teams solve their toughest automation challenges.

Experience & Requirements: What You Bring

We're looking for a combination of relevant experience and technical capability. The requirements needed to be successful in this role are:

• A relevant engineering, computer science, automation, or technical background through education and/or equivalent experience.
• Experience developing and commissioning controls or software for automated equipment.
• The ability to troubleshoot problems across hardware, software, and machine processes.
• Experience working as part of a multidisciplinary engineering or project team.
• Increasing ownership of controls projects or systems appropriate to your career level.
• Openness to use of AI in your workflow
• Ability to travel to customer sites for installation and commissioning, typically 0–10%, with occasional variation based on project needs.
• US Persons

Some of the platforms and tools you may work with include:

• PLC & Controls: Allen-Bradley Studio 5000, Siemens TIA Portal, Omron Sysmac Studio, Beckhoff TwinCAT
• HMI/SCADA: FactoryTalk View, Inductive Automation Ignition
• Robotics: FANUC, Epson, KUKA
• Vision: Cognex, Keyence
• Software: Visual Studio, C#, VB
• Motion: Servo and multi-axis motion control systems
• Electrical Design: AutoCAD Electrical, ePLAN, or similar tools
• Simulation: Ability to envision and pursue virtual commissioning

Technical Careers at PAR Systems - Where You Could Fit

Great engineering careers are not one-size-fits-all. At PAR Systems, engineers grow by taking on bigger challenges, expanding their technical expertise, and increasing their impact. Whether you are building your foundation, leading complex technical work, solving problems across teams, or shaping the future of our capabilities, there is room to grow and contribute at every stage of your career.

Our engineering career path includes Engineer, Advanced Engineer, Senior Engineer, and Principal Engineer, with increasing scope, independence, technical leadership, and impact at each level. Progression is based on demonstrated technical capability, problem-solving, leadership, and impact, not simply years of overall experience.

For our experienced engineering opportunities, you don't need to determine where you fit before applying. We encourage you to start with a conversation. Together, we'll explore your experience, technical depth, and career interests to determine how they align with our engineering levels and opportunities.