Hands-On Industrial Controls Test Engineer

Actalent; City of Lockport (NY); On-site; USD 80,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full company provided benefits.

Job summary

Actalent is seeking a Controls Test Engineer to provide hands-on engineering support for PLC-based controls, HMI systems, instrumentation, and data acquisition in manufacturing and lab settings. The role emphasizes troubleshooting and practical equipment support rather than design work.

You will work with HVAC and refrigeration test systems, validate data quality, and optimize control loops. Based in Lockport, NY, this permanent onsite position offers full company benefits.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience supporting industrial process equipment in manufacturing or lab environments.
• Working knowledge of PLC controls and HMI systems, preferably Siemens or Allen-Bradley.
• Hands-on troubleshooting PLC-controlled equipment and automation systems.
• Understanding of instrumentation, sensors, and data acquisition for temperature, pressure, and flow.
• Knowledge of closed-loop control and PID tuning.
• Experience with HVAC, refrigeration, heat exchangers, and thermodynamics.
• Ability to troubleshoot across electrical, mechanical, controls and instrumentation.
• Experience with variable speed drives and refrigeration loops.
• Hands-on, not design-focused.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Troubleshoot and support PLC-based control systems, HMI devices, and industrial electrical systems.
• Install and support PLCs and set-point controllers, tuning loops.
• Support instrumentation and data acquisition for temperature, pressure, and flow.
• Calibrate instrumentation and verify measurement accuracy.
• Diagnose and resolve problems in manufacturing and lab settings.
• Apply thermodynamics and HVAC principles when troubleshooting.
• Collaborate with test technicians to troubleshoot equipment and data quality.
• Support commissioning and validation of new test equipment.
• Assist with controls and facility improvements.
• Provide hands-on support to optimize PID control loops and measurement.

Skills

PLC controls

HMI systems

Instrumentation & data acquisition

PID tuning

Troubleshooting & hands-on testing

Electrical systems

Thermodynamics basics

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's or technical degree in Electrical/Mechanical Engineering

HVAC/refrigeration systems experience

Tools

Siemens PLC

Allen-Bradley PLC

HMI platforms

Instrumentation & sensors

Job description

Actalent is seeking a Controls Test Engineer to provide hands-on engineering support for PLC-based controls, HMI systems, instrumentation, and data acquisition in manufacturing and lab settings. The role emphasizes troubleshooting and practical equipment support rather than design work.

You will work with HVAC and refrigeration test systems, validate data quality, and optimize control loops. Based in Lockport, NY, this permanent onsite position offers full company benefits.