PLC Technician

Ellaway Blues Consulting; Fort Worth (TX); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Ellaway Blues Consulting is seeking a hands-on Process Control Technician Specialist to keep the PLCs, HMIs, field instrumentation, and safety systems running in our metal, alloy, and component-making facility. This is a shop-floor role, not a design or engineering position.

You will work on the floor with a laptop, meters, and calibration tools, troubleshooting faults and supporting startup of new equipment.

Qualifications

• Associate degree or technical certification in Electrical Engineering Technology, Industrial Automation, Mechatronics, Instrumentation, or related field.
• 3+ years hands-on experience troubleshooting, maintaining, and supporting PLC- and HMI-based process control systems in a manufacturing/ heavy industrial environment.
• Proficiency reading, interpreting, and redlining electrical schematics, P&IDs, and wiring diagrams.
• Familiarity with industrial communication protocols such as EtherNet/IP, Profinet, and Modbus TCP.
• Experience with diagnostic tools: multimeters, loop calibrators, signal simulators, oscilloscopes, and basic network testing.
• Willingness to participate in an on-call rotation.

Responsibilities

• Troubleshoot and maintain PLCs, HMIs, VFDs, sensors, transmitters, and safety interlock systems.
• Respond to process-control alarms and faults as part of an on-call rotation.
• Perform installation, testing, and calibration of field instrumentation and control panels.
• Read and interpret electrical schematics, P&IDs, panel layouts, and wiring diagrams; redline drawings as-built changes.
• Support programming, configuration, and routine maintenance of controls platforms and HMI screens.
• Conduct preventive and predictive maintenance and document activities.
• Assist commissioning and startup of new or modified equipment; verify system performance.

Skills

PLC/HMI troubleshooting

Industrial automation

Diagnostics

Education

Associate degree or technical certification

Tools

SCADA

Historian software

Virtualized control environments

Job description

We offer a best-in-class work environment for our team, supporting their professional growth while providing a challenging, exciting, and safe workplace. From offering a robust benefits package to generous PTO and more, we live our core values—teamwork, resiliency, and integrity—reflecting our long-term commitment to our employees, communities, and the environment.

Position Overview:

We are seeking a hands-on Process Control Technician Specialist to keep the PLCs, HMIs, field instrumentation, and safety systems running in our metal, alloy, and component-making facility. This is a shop-floor role, not a design or engineering role. You will be the person on the floor with a laptop, multimeter, and loop calibrator—troubleshooting faults, calibrating devices, updating HMI screens, and supporting startup of new equipment. You will work alongside engineers who handle system design and architecture; your job is to make it work, keep it running, and fix it when it doesn't. The ideal candidate is a skilled technician who thrives in a plant environment, takes ownership of problems from first alarm to full resolution, and is comfortable getting hands dirty in a heavy industrial setting.

• Troubleshoot and maintain PLCs, HMIs, VFDs, sensors, transmitters, and safety interlock systems to ensure smooth, safe daily operations.
• Respond to process-control-related alarms and faults as part of an on-call rotation, including after-hours support as needed.
• Perform hands-on installation, testing, and calibration of field instrumentation, control panels, and process control components.
• Read and interpret electrical schematics, P&IDs, panel layouts, and wiring diagrams; redline drawings to reflect as-built changes.
• Support programming, configuration, and routine maintenance of controls platforms, such as Rockwell, FactoryTalk View, Siemens TIA Portal, and other platforms—updating logic per change requests, modifying HMI screens, and verifying I/O.
• Conduct preventive and predictive maintenance: perform software backups, maintain change logs, and document all control system activities.
• Use diagnostic tools (multimeters, loop calibrators, signal simulators, oscilloscopes, network analyzers) to trace and isolate control signal and communication faults.
• Perform routine inspections of process control equipment to identify wear, potential failure points, and improvement opportunities.
• Support continuous improvement (CI) and OPEX projects by implementing approved changes to process control systems, improving equipment functionality, and reducing downtime.
• Assist with commissioning and startup of new or modified equipment, verifying system performance against specifications.
• Assist in implementing and maintaining standard operating procedures and response protocols for process control systems.

Basic Qualifications:

• Associate degree or equivalent technical certification in Electrical Engineering Technology, Industrial Automation, Mechatronics, Instrumentation, or a related technical field. (A bachelor's degree is not required.)
• 3+ years of hands-on experience troubleshooting, maintaining, and supporting PLC- and HMI-based process control systems in a manufacturing, metal-processing, or heavy industrial environment.
• Hands-on experience with industrial control platforms, including routine logic edits, HMI updates, and I/O verification.
• Proficiency reading, interpreting, and redlining electrical schematics, P&IDs, and wiring diagrams.
• Familiarity with industrial communication protocols such as EtherNet/IP, Profinet, and Modbus TCP, etc.
• Experience with diagnostic tools: multimeters, loop calibrators, signal simulators, and basic network testing.
• Comfortable working in an industrial environment with chemical, mechanical, and thermal processes; able to work in confined spaces, at heights, and in noisy, high-temperature areas.
• Willingness to participate in an on-call rotation.

Preferred Qualifications (nice to have, not required):

• 5+ years of process control or automation experience in a manufacturing or heavy industrial setting.
• Familiarity with SCADA systems, historian software, or virtualized control environments.
• Exposure to robotics, vision systems, or motion control.
• Basic AutoCAD Electrical skills for modifying schematics.
• Journeyman electrician license or equivalent (a strong plus).

What Sets the Right Candidate Apart:

• You are a doer, not a designer. You want to be on the floor fixing things, not in a conference room drafting P&IDs or writing design specifications.
• You take ownership from first alarm to full resolution and don't wait for someone else to hand you the answer.
• You have a strong, analytical troubleshooting approach to electrical and control problems.
• You can balance multiple priorities and adapt to dynamic production demands.
• You communicate clearly—both with operators on the floor and when documenting work for engineering.
• You are proficient in Microsoft Office, especially Excel and Outlook.
• Note to Applicants: This is a technician-level position. We are looking for experienced hands-on technicians, not controls or automation engineers. If your background is in system design, project engineering, or you hold a bachelor's or higher degree in engineering, this role is not the right fit.