Lead Controls Engineer - Robotics & Automation

coatscompany; La Vergne (TN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Retirement matching

Automation leadership

Diverse equipment exposure

Job summary

The Coats Company is seeking a Controls Engineer to lead design, programming, integration, and continuous improvement of automation and controls across the facility. You will own the full lifecycle of automation on welding, cutting, CNC, coating, and assembly equipment, working with industrial and cobots from major vendors.

In this role you will standardize controls, improve uptime, and ensure safety on the plant floor, providing technical mentorship and coordinating with manufacturing and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, or related field, or equivalent hands‑on experience.
• 5+ years of experience in industrial controls engineering within a manufacturing environment.
• Hands‑on programming experience with multiple major PLC platforms (e.g., Rockwell/Allen‑Bradley, Siemens, Mitsubishi).
• Experience integrating and programming industrial robots and/or collaborative robots in a production setting.
• Strong knowledge of electrical control systems, motor controls, drives, sensors, and industrial networking protocols.
• Working knowledge of robotic and machine safety standards (ISO 10218, ISO/TS 15066, or equivalent).
• Experience reading and developing electrical schematics and P&IDs.
• Strong troubleshooting skills with the ability to work directly on the plant floor under production pressure.

Responsibilities

• Design, program, and commission PLC, HMI, and robot control systems for new and existing production equipment.
• Lead integration of industrial robots and collaborative robots (cobots) into manufacturing cells, including end‑of‑arm tooling coordination, safety zoning, and cycle‑time optimization.
• Program, troubleshoot, and maintain controls across welding machines, laser/plasma cutting systems, CNC saws, CNC brake presses, powder coating equipment, and automated/manual assembly stations.
• PLC logic, HMI screens, and robot programs across major platforms (e.g., Allen‑Bradley, Siemens, Mitsubishi).
• Design and specify control panels, I/O architecture, safety circuits, and networking for new installations and retrofits.
• Perform risk assessments and ensure controls and robotic systems comply with applicable safety standards.

Skills

PLC programming

Robotics integration

Electrical control

Troubleshooting

Safety standards

Mentoring

Education

Electrical Engineering

Mechatronics

Equivalent experience

Tools

Rockwell AB

Siemens

Mitsubishi

HMI software

Job description

The Coats Company is seeking a Controls Engineer to lead design, programming, integration, and continuous improvement of automation and controls across the facility. You will own the full lifecycle of automation on welding, cutting, CNC, coating, and assembly equipment, working with industrial and cobots from major vendors.

In this role you will standardize controls, improve uptime, and ensure safety on the plant floor, providing technical mentorship and coordinating with manufacturing and