Lead Electrical Controls Support Engineer – Allen-Bradley PLC

Liberty Personnel Services, Inc.; Culpeper (VA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Generous PTO

Flexible work environment

Professional growth opportunities

Job summary

Liberty Personnel Services, Inc. is seeking a Lead Electrical Controls Support Engineer to provide technical leadership for PLC/HMI, robotics, motion control, and industrial networks.

You will troubleshoot complex control systems, guide commissioning, and mentor field personnel in a fast‑paced environment. The role requires hands‑on problem solving, close customer collaboration, and travel to customer sites to support startups and upgrades.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Mechatronics, or related discipline preferred.
• 3+ years of experience supporting industrial automation, controls engineering, or systems integration.
• Strong experience with Allen‑Bradley PLC platforms required; Siemens, Omron, or GE experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead controls support activities across multiple customer projects and ensure timely resolution of technical issues.
• Serve as the primary technical escalation resource for controls and machine troubleshooting.
• Mentor junior controls engineers and field service personnel.
• Develop troubleshooting standards, best practices, and technical documentation.
• Drive continuous improvement to improve system reliability and customer satisfaction.
• Interface with customers to troubleshoot issues and provide long‑term support.

Skills

PLC programming

Troubleshooting

Mentoring

Customer communication

Root cause analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Controls engineering

Tools

Allen-Bradley Studio 5000

FactoryTalk View

AutoCAD Electrical

Cognex/Keyence vision systems

Fanuc robotics

Job description

Lead Electrical Controls Support Engineer – Allen-Bradley PLC

Lead Electrical Controls Support Engineer

Overview

We are seeking a highly motivated Lead Controls Support Engineer to provide technical leadership for controls troubleshooting, commissioning, customer support, and continuous improvement of industrial automation systems. This hands‑on role is responsible for supporting complex control systems in the field, leading startup and commissioning activities, mentoring support engineers, and serving as the technical escalation point for customers and internal teams.

This position is ideal for an experienced controls engineer who enjoys solving challenging automation problems, working directly with customers, and leading technical support efforts for PLC, HMI, robotics, motion control, and industrial networking systems.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Support

• Lead controls support activities across multiple customer projects while ensuring timely resolution of technical issues.
• Serve as the primary technical escalation resource for controls, automation, robotics, and machine troubleshooting.
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to junior controls engineers and field service personnel.
• Develop troubleshooting standards, best practices, and technical documentation.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to improve system reliability and customer satisfaction.
• Interface directly with customers to troubleshoot controls issues, answer technical questions, and provide long‑term support.
• Work closely with mechanical, electrical, manufacturing, and project teams to resolve system issues.
• Support engineering teams during system upgrades, retrofits, and modifications.
• Lead technical discussions during commissioning, service visits, FATs, SATs, and customer acceptance activities.
• Troubleshoot PLC, HMI, motion control, robotics, vision systems, servo systems, VFDs, and industrial networks.
• Modify and support PLC/HMI programs (Allen‑Bradley Studio 5000 and FactoryTalk View preferred).
• Support machine vision systems including Cognex, Keyence, or similar platforms.
• Troubleshoot industrial robots including Fanuc or equivalent platforms.
• Analyze electrical schematics, panel layouts, wiring diagrams, and control system documentation.
• Support system validation, testing, and performance optimization.

Commissioning & Field Support

• Lead startup, commissioning, and field service activities at customer facilities.
• Perform onsite troubleshooting, diagnostics, and system recovery.
• Support equipment upgrades, software modifications, and process improvements.
• Travel to customer sites (approximately 30%) to provide commissioning, startup, and technical support.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Mechatronics, or related discipline preferred.
• 3+ years of experience supporting industrial automation, controls engineering, or systems integration.
• Previous experience providing technical leadership or mentoring engineers preferred.
• Strong experience with Allen‑Bradley PLC platforms required; Siemens, Omron, or GE experience is a plus.

Technical Skills

• PLC programming and troubleshooting
• HMI development and support
• Motion control, servo systems, and VFDs
• Industrial robotics and machine vision
• Electrical schematics and control panel documentation
• AutoCAD Electrical experience preferred
• Excellent troubleshooting and root‑cause analysis skills

Professional Attributes

• Strong leadership and mentoring abilities
• Excellent customer communication and relationship‑building skills
• Self‑motivated with the ability to prioritize multiple support activities
• Willingness to travel approximately 30%

What We Offer

• Competitive compensation package
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Generous PTO
• Flexible work environment
• Opportunity to support advanced automation technologies
• Collaborative engineering culture with opportunities for professional growth