Industrial Controls Engineer - PLC, HMI & Automation

voestalpine Railway Systems Nortrak LLC; Illinois; On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

voestalpine Railway Systems Nortrak LLC in Chicago Heights, Illinois is seeking a Controls Engineer to support and improve industrial automation within manufacturing. You will design, program, and maintain PLC-based control systems, develop HMI interfaces, and troubleshoot electrical and control issues to ensure reliability.

The role emphasizes safety, environmental compliance, and collaboration with maintenance and production teams to minimize downtime while driving continuous improvement

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in a manufacturing related engineering field or equivalent experience.
• 3+ years of experience in an industrial manufacturing or automation environment.
• Experience with PLC platforms (Allen-Bradley and/or Siemens preferred).
• Knowledge of industrial networks, sensors, drives, and control devices.
• Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics and technical documentation.
• Strong troubleshooting, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Occasional off-shift or on-call support may be required.

Responsibilities

• Design, program, troubleshoot, and support PLC-based control systems.
• Develop, modify, and maintain HMI and control system interfaces.
• Diagnose and resolve electrical, automation, and control-related issues.
• Support commissioning, startup, and optimization of manufacturing equipment.
• Ensure control systems comply with safety, environmental, and quality standards.
• Create and maintain technical documentation, schematics, and control narratives.
• Collaborate with maintenance, production, and engineering teams to reduce downtime.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives and automation upgrades.
• Must be able to work with production and maintenance personnel, vendors and other Nortrak plant personnel in a team-oriented environment.
• Adhere to Nortrak's Environmental Procedures, Practices and Policies.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Allen-Bradley PLC

Siemens PLC

Industrial networks

Sensors & drives

Electrical schematics

Troubleshooting

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in manufacturing engineering or related field

Tools

HMIs

SCADA

VFDs

Job description

voestalpine Railway Systems Nortrak LLC in Chicago Heights, Illinois is seeking a Controls Engineer to support and improve industrial automation within manufacturing. You will design, program, and maintain PLC-based control systems, develop HMI interfaces, and troubleshoot electrical and control issues to ensure reliability.

The role emphasizes safety, environmental compliance, and collaboration with maintenance and production teams to minimize downtime while driving continuous improvement