Manufacturing Controls Engineering Technologist

Lincoln Motor Company; Dearborn (MI); On-site; USD 87,000 - 166,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision coverage

Paid time off

Vehicle discount program for employees

Job summary

Ford Motor Company is seeking an experienced engineer to support manufacturing controls and automation across production lines. The role involves installing, commissioning, testing, and troubleshooting advanced equipment including PLCs, HMIs, drives, robots, and CNC systems.

You will work with engineers to implement revisions, read electrical and hydraulic drawings, and document results. A strong background in MES and industrial networks is preferred, with up to 80% travel during peak periods.

Qualifications

• Associate degree in Engineering or related field.
• 10+ years of hands-on experience in industrial automation, manufacturing controls, machine installation, equipment commissioning, maintenance, or production troubleshooting.
• Proven ability to troubleshoot industrial electrical and controls equipment safely in an active manufacturing environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide hands-on technical support to engineers responsible for manufacturing controls, automation, assembly, and machining systems.
• Install, commission, test, troubleshoot, repair, and improve production equipment and control systems.
• Connect to PLCs, HMIs, drives, robots, vision systems, CNC equipment, motion controls, and industrial networks to diagnose faults and verify equipment operation.
• Travel up to 80% during peak program periods and work off shifts or plant shutdowns as required for equipment installation, commissioning, and launch support.

Skills

PLCs & HMIs

Robotics & CNC

Electrical schematics

MES systems

Industrial troubleshooting

Education

Associate degree in Engineering (Electrical, Mechanical, Manufacturing Engineering, Engineering Automation or Mechatronics preferred)

10+ years hands-on experience in industrial automation

Job description

At Ford Motor Company, we believe freedom of movement drives human progress. We also believe in providing you with the freedom to define and realize your dreams. With our incredible plans for the future of mobility, we have a wide variety of opportunities for you to accelerate your career potential as you help us define tomorrow’s transportation.

As part of our Manufacturing team, you’ll help build the world‑class, state‑of‑the‑art smart vehicles the world expects from us. Within our plants around the world, we’re constantly developing new technologies and processes to further increase our efficiency. That means we’re continually seeking diligent, driven performers who think creatively to help us find better and more efficient ways to manufacture our vehicles.

What You’ll Do

• Provide hands‑on technical support to engineers responsible for manufacturing controls, automation, assembly, and machining systems.
• Work under the direction of qualified engineers to install, commission, test, troubleshoot, repair, and improve production equipment and control systems.
• Connect to PLCs, HMIs, drives, robots, vision systems, CNC equipment, motion controls, and industrial networks to diagnose faults and verify equipment operation.
• Perform field checks of electrical panels, sensors, actuators, safety devices, network connections, and machine interfaces using appropriate diagnostic tools.
• Assist engineers with PLC and HMI software changes, I/O checkout, device configuration, backups, functional testing, and controlled implementation of approved revisions.
• Read and apply electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic drawings, equipment manuals, controls specifications, and engineering instructions during installation and troubleshooting activities.
• Collect machine data, document test results, identify failure symptoms, and provide findings to the responsible engineer for technical evaluation and disposition.
• Support equipment suppliers, skilled trades, maintenance personnel, and plant teams during equipment build, installation, debug, launch, and production recovery.
• Verify that completed work conforms to approved engineering designs, controls standards, safety requirements, and documented test procedures.
• Capture lessons learned, update technical records, and communicate equipment status, open issues, and recommended follow‑up actions to the supervising engineer.
• Hands‑on troubleshooting experience with PLCs, HMIs, variable‑frequency drives, servo systems, CNC equipment, robots, vision systems, safety systems, sensors, and industrial networks.
• Working knowledge of Siemens, Allen‑Bradley, Schneider, or Bosch control platforms, including online diagnostics, I/O monitoring, device configuration, program backups, and implementation of engineer‑approved changes.
• Applied experience with Structured Control Language, function and function‑block diagnostics, ladder logic, HMI screens, and industrial communication protocols.
• Ability to use multimeters, network diagnostic tools, PLC programming software, drive configuration software, and other equipment‑specific service tools.
• Ability to read, mark up, and verify electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic schematics, panel layouts, I/O lists, and device documentation.
• Experience performing power‑on checks, I/O checkout, device validation, safety‑system verification, cycle testing, fault recovery, and production readiness checks.
• Travel up to 80% during peak program periods and work off shifts or plant shutdowns as required for equipment installation, commissioning, and launch support.

You’ll Have

• Associate degree in Engineering (Electrical, Mechanical, Manufacturing Engineering, Engineering Automation or Mechatronics preferred) and/or
• 10 or more years of hands‑on experience supporting industrial automation, manufacturing controls, machine installation, equipment commissioning, maintenance, or production troubleshooting.
• Controls experience as an integrator in the Ford environment and detailed understanding of the MES systems.
• Practical experience working from engineering direction, approved designs, drawings, specifications, and test procedures in support of qualified engineers.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot industrial electrical and controls equipment safely in an active manufacturing environment.

You may not check every box, or your experience may look a little different from what we've outlined, but if you think you can bring value to Ford Motor Company.

As an established global company, we offer the benefit of choice. You can choose what your Ford future will look like: will your story span the globe, or keep you close to home? Will your career be a deep dive into what you love, or a series of new teams and new skills? Will you be a leader, a changemaker, a technical expert, a culture builder…or all of the above? No matter what you choose, we offer a work life that works for you, including:

• Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
• Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp‑up programs, subsidized back‑up child care and more
• Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, and more
• Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases
• Tuition assistance
• Established and active employee resource groups
• Paid time off for individual and team community service
• A generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day
• Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.

This position is a salary grade 7 and ranges from $86,600-$144,900.

This position is a salary grade 8 and ranges from $99,100-$166,200.

Final determination of salary grade will be based on candidate's skills and experience, and base salary will be set within the applicable range according to job scope, responsibility and competitive market value.

Visa sponsorship is available for this position.

Candidates for positions with Ford Motor Company must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status or protected veteran status. In the United States, if you need a reasonable accommodation for the online application process due to a disability, please call 1-888-336-0660.