Industrial Controls Engineer — PLC, HMI & Panel Design

Certified Industrial Partners, Inc; Oak Forest (IL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Panatrol, an industrial controls integrator near Chicago, seeks a Controls Systems Engineer to design and support electrical control systems across diverse facilities. You will review specs, develop schematics, and assist with PLC/HMI/drive programming through testing and startup.

The role requires travel across the continental US, collaboration with panel shops, electricians, and customers, and ensuring safety and code compliance in all work.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Electrical Engineering Technology, Automation, Controls, Mechatronics, or related field or equivalent experience.
• 1-5 years of related experience in electrical controls engineering, industrial automation, control panel design, field service, commissioning, or similar work.
• Working knowledge of motor controls, including starters, MCPs, overloads, drives, MCCs, contactors, relays, timers, and safety relays.
• Power distribution knowledge: <600VAC 3-phase, 120VAC, 24VDC, transformers, power supplies, grounding, circuit protection.

Responsibilities

• Review customer specifications, drawings, RFIs, submittal comments, and scope documents to verify technical obligations and identify gaps.
• Support design of industrial control systems, including control panels, motor controls, PLC I/O, HMI interfaces, VFDs, instrumentation, networked devices, and field wiring.
• Prepare and revise electrical schematics, panel layouts, bills of material, wiring diagrams, I/O drawings, network drawings, and related hardware documentation.
• Develop, read, and troubleshoot relay-control circuits and hardwired logic, including seal-in circuits, permissives, interlocks, timers, safety relays, and cross-references.
• Support PLC, HMI, and drive programming, including logic updates, alarm/status mapping, device configuration, and functional testing.
• Support VFD setup and integration, including parameter review, drive status/alarm interfaces, and PLC/HMI communications.
• Prepare and execute test procedures for shop testing, factory acceptance testing, and startup verification.
• Compile and maintain project documentation including submittals, test procedures, operator manuals, and closeout documentation.

Skills

Control design

PLC programming

HMI programming

AutoCAD Electrical

EPLAN

VFD setup

Documentation

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related

Tools

AutoCAD Electrical

EPLAN

Job description

Panatrol, an industrial controls integrator near Chicago, seeks a Controls Systems Engineer to design and support electrical control systems across diverse facilities. You will review specs, develop schematics, and assist with PLC/HMI/drive programming through testing and startup.

The role requires travel across the continental US, collaboration with panel shops, electricians, and customers, and ensuring safety and code compliance in all work.